A Second Chance
by DracoSly
Summary: After getting her heart broken, Hermione moves on and marries. Eight years later, she takes her daughter and runs away from her husband, for fear of what he will do to them. Barely conscious, Hermione and her daughter are found by the one who left her heartbroken, but as time goes on, they find out that that's not all he left her with.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have had this story on my mind for months, and after exhausting hours of planning it out, it has finally come together! (At least, I hope it has.) That will be up to you to let me know :)**

**The reason this is rated M, is because there is abuse and violence in this story. And, I'm paranoid. If you think it's ok for the rating to go down, well let me know and it will ease my conscience. ;)**

**This first chapter takes place two years after the Battle of Hogwarts, and it is slightly AU. I have done my very best to keep everyone in character, but if you think I'm totally off, please let me know.**

**My beta and co-writer is my very best friend and twin who looks nothing like me and is 3 years younger than me is BekaLynne22. She's given me ideas and suggestions for this story, and I think they have really brought this story together well. Okay, so enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoy this story!**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, spells, etc. Only the plot belongs to me. The incredible world of Harry Potter belongs to the one and only, J.K. Rowling._ (**This disclaimer is for the entire story. I'm only posting it this once because I will forget to do it throughout the** story).

_**Chapter 1:**_

"Draco! Do we really have to go to this party?"

Draco rubbed his temples, and groaned. He had heard the same thing all week and it was grating on his nerves. "Yes, for the hundredth time, we are going to this party."

It had been two years since the Battle of Hogwarts and Voldemort was defeated. Despite changing to the Light side, Draco was still despised by most people, but he felt it was mostly because he was a Malfoy. After Voldemort was killed, the Death Eaters were rounded up, including his father, and were sentenced to life in Azkaban. His mother had to appear in a hearing, but thanks to Harry Potter, she was released with no charges of being a Death Eater. Draco was indebted to Potter for saving his mother. Draco knew she would not have survived in Azkaban.

He was also indebted to Potter for helping him get his current job. When Draco had gone to the Ministry to sign up for Auror training, they were hesitant on letting him join. As luck would have it, Potter was there at the same time and stepped in for Draco, demanding they let him join, stating that without him, Potter would be dead, and the world would be a lot different.

Once a year on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, the Ministry held a gala in remembrance of all the lives lost during the First and Second wars. The first year was the hardest for everyone. Draco hadn't lost anyone close to him, but he had lost someone who had become a good friend to him after he had switched to the Light side. Fred and George Weasley had been two of the four people who had trusted Draco once he had switched sides. He had not really known the twins in school, but after watching them and listening to them, he realized how brilliant and funny they were. With his snarky comments, and their witty, funny comebacks, they got along splendidly. When he had found out that Fred had been crushed by a wall, he had had to leave the Great Hall so no one would see the tears fall from his eyes. Fred was one of the closest people to Draco that he had ever lost, and it hurt him deeply. But it hadn't seemed fair for him to feel so hurt when George had just lost his twin, and the Weasley's their son and brother. He had only told one person how he truly felt about it, and that was only because she was the one who had found him crying. She was another who had trusted him when he switched sides, and she seemed to know what he was feeling from Fred's death.

Draco sighed and shook his head from his thoughts. He went to his closet and grabbed a silk maroon tie and wrapped it around his white button up shirt. He grabbed his black jacket and shut the closet doors behind him. While putting his jacket on, he looked up and saw his girlfriend coming out of the bathroom. He had met Theresa a year ago at the anniversary gala, and they had been dating since. They fought often, sometimes, Draco thought too often. He wasn't sure if he loved her, but he did have feelings for her, despite her feelings towards his choice of friends and career.

Her brother had been an Auror who had been killed during the war, and she continuously told Draco this, trying to deter him from continuing as an Auror. As for his choice of friends, she despised the Weasleys and Hermione Granger. She thought the Weasleys were below her. As for Hermione Granger, she thought she was after Draco, so she despised her. Draco had tried telling Theresa numerous times that Hermione Granger and him were just friends. There was no possibility whatsoever that Granger had feelings for him, or vice versa. But Theresa was adamant, and refused to believe him. Sometimes though, Draco didn't believe himself on that matter.

He shook his head again, not wanting to go down that path at the moment when he and Theresa are already on thin ice. He smiled at Theresa and asked, "Are you ready?"

She smiled and walked over to him, giving him a peck on the lips. "Yes darling, all though, I can't understand why you want to wear that god-awful tie! It clashes with my pearl dress!" She complained.

"Theresa, I've worn this tie for the past two years to the gala, and I will continue to do so, in honor of my fallen friend. I told you this before you went shopping for your dress," he said, while he finished tying his tie. The twins had worn maroon a lot during the war, and it clashed horribly with their red hair, but Draco had found it amusing. He had asked Fred and George about it once and they said, 'It makes us stand out. Now people will know the amazing Weasley twins are coming!'

"Well, I still think it's horrible, but you do what you will. Merlin knows I can't talk any sense into you," she said, while walking out of the room with Draco behind her. "Do you know who all will be there?"

"I'm sure the same people who were there the last two years." He knew what was coming, and he really didn't want to go into it with Theresa; especially not tonight.

"Ah yes, well, just make sure you stay with me tonight, and then I won't have to spend the entire night making sure you don't do something foolish."

"What exactly would I do?" Here it comes.

"Well for one, mingling with those disgusting Weasleys! They have no class whatsoever and I think they just want attention."

"They lost their son! They are going to the gala just like everyone else who played a part in the war and who lost someone they loved! How is that seeking attention?"

"Oh please, they have, what—10 children? What's it to them if they lose one? They have plenty that can replace him," she said nonchalantly.

Draco clenched his hands until his knuckles turned white. "Theresa, watch what you say!" He warned.

She looked at him and gave him a small smile. "Of course, dear. Let's go shall we? We don't want to be late." She walked to the floo and yelled 'Ministry of Magic' before disappearing in the green flames.

Draco took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. It was going to be a long night.

oOo~oOo~oOo

Draco arrived at the Ministry of Magic and saw Theresa standing in the atrium waiting for him. He held out his arm and she took it. Neither said a word as they walked into the ballroom the Ministry had constructed shortly after the war, in order to hold the gala. It was just as it had been the past two years; a stage at the front for people to make speeches on the war won and the loved ones we lost, a bar to the side, tables all over in front of the stage, and off the side the dance floor. Draco led Theresa to a group of their friends.

"Draco! Theresa! I'm so glad to see you here! I wasn't sure you'd show," Astoria Greengrass exclaimed.

"Oh yes, well Draco didn't really want to come, but after telling him how important it was to be here, he finally conceded and came," Theresa informed them. Draco had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson looked at Draco with their eyebrows raised. Draco simply shrugged and left it at that. He didn't want to get into a fight here of all places.

"So Draco, how come I haven't seen you at any of my matches?" Blaise asked. Blaise had become a professional Quidditch player for Puddlemere United shortly after the war. He had been on the Light side from the beginning and had no trouble being accused for being a possible Death Eater.

"Well Blaise, I'm not a fan of Puddlemere, as I know you know," he replied.

"Yes well if you would come to a match and actually watch us, I think we'd change your opinion on us," Blaise smiled.

"It could be worse. You could be playing for the Chudley Cannons like Ron Weasley," Pansy replied. Pansy had switched to the Light side along with Draco. She didn't have as much trouble as Draco did after the war, but she was still treated with disgust by some.

"Yeah, but I hear that the Cannons are actually winning some because of Weasley. That's a feat in it itself," Draco replied.

"Yes well, with a wife like he has, I'd want to be gone to Quidditch matches and practices all the time as well," Pansy said.

"Oh that's right! He married that Luna Lovegood, right?" Theresa asked, even though she knew perfectly well who he was married to. "I just find it laughable that he chose her over that frizzy haired book freak."

And there it was. He knew it wouldn't take long for her to bring up Hermione. He sighed heavily before replying. "Theresa, I've asked you not to call her that."

"Oh I know! And why is that Draco?" She asked before starting on her second glass of champagne.

"Because she is my friend, and I will not have you talking about her like that."

She didn't reply but gave him a glare and went back to talking to Astoria. Draco shook his head and looked around the room. There were a lot of people there, as usual. He caught Professor McGonagall's eye and she gave him a small smile and a nod before turning back to speaking to Minister Shacklebolt. He continued to look around the room when he saw her. She was speaking to Harry and Ginny, and Draco couldn't help but gape at her. She was wearing a full length, deep sky blue silk dress, with one strap and a strip of glitter across the strap and the chest. Her hair was hanging down in soft silky curls and it went down to her waist, with a few jeweled pins in her hair. She was absolutely breathtaking, and Draco couldn't take his eyes off of her. She suddenly looked up and saw him. She gave him a smile and a small wave before saying something to Harry and Ginny. Draco looked away before he could be entranced again.

"Oh look, here comes the little bookworm now," Theresa said. Draco's head shot up and he saw Hermione walking towards them.

"Hello everyone!" She greeted. "How are you all?"

"Why Hermione! Beautiful as always I see, and no poor sap hanging on your arm. Please tell me you didn't come by yourself, because you could have been my lovely date tonight," Blaise said, winking at her.

She giggled, and said, "Oh Blaise, always the charmer. Actually I do have a date tonight, but he went to get us drinks."

"Ah, alas, I have lost you again my dear," Blaise mocked hurt.

She laughed softly and looked at Draco. "Hello Draco. How are you?"

"I'm doing well Hermione. How are you?"

"I'm good. Staying busy with my healer training."

"When do you finish with that?" Pansy asked.

"I have three months left. I'll be glad when I finish. The training is absolutely exhausting."

"Finally found something that you aren't good at, have you?" Theresa asked.

Everyone looked at her, and back at Hermione. "Quite the contrary, Theresa. I'm the top of my class. It's just very demanding, hard work. Something I'm sure you quite familiar with," she answered with a smirk.

Drack fought back a laugh, while Blaise was laughing silently. Pansy was hiding a smile while Astoria and Theresa looked insulted.

Before Theresa could reply, a man walked up to Hermione. "Here you are. Sorry it took so long, the line at the bar was quite long. Ah, hello, I don't believe we've met."

"Toby, this is Draco Malfoy, Theresa Henningson, Astoria Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini. Everyone, this is Toby Lennox."

"_The_ Draco Malfoy? I remember you in school," Toby said.

"Lennox you said? I don't think I remember you," Draco replied.

"I was in Ravenclaw a year ahead of you lot."

After an awkward silence, Blaise said, "So you're the one who snagged this beauty for the night, are you?"

"Oh, well, Ginny actually introduced us, and Hermione said she wasn't going with anyone tonight, and neither was I, so it sort of, worked out."

"Hm, so it's a one night kind of deal, is it Hermione?" Theresa asked. Draco could have strangled her if he wasn't such a gentleman.

"Well, it's been lovely chatting. We'll see you around," Hermione replied, as if she hadn't heard what Theresa had said. Draco could read through Hermione like a book though, and he saw the flash of hurt go through her eyes.

After Hermione and Toby walked away, Draco turned to Theresa. "Theresa, that was uncalled for!"

"What? She deserved it after that snide comment she made about me. Besides, she wouldn't stop staring at you, and I thought it was time she left."

"You had no right! She is our friend, and you treated her like dirt!"

"Because she is dirt! She's a mudblood, and other than being friends with Harry Potter, I don't think she deserves to be here."

Draco grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the hallway, ignoring the stares of everyone. He hated what he was going to do, but that had been the last straw.

oOo~oOo~oOo

Hermione watched Draco drag Theresa out into the hallway, and she couldn't help but smile. Draco deserved a lot better than Theresa. Secretly and deep down she wished it could be her, but she knew it would never happen. She didn't stand a chance with him, even with their close friendship. They still had their arguments, but they didn't leave her in tears like they had while they were in school.

Since Draco had changed sides, she had seen a new side to him. He had saved her life during an attack in Diagon Alley, and she had instantly trusted him after that. That was when he had switched sides. He had been trying to get to Diagon Alley before the Death Eaters to warn the Order. He informed them, but the Order refused to believe him, until the Death Eaters attacked. Dolohov had sent a curse at Hermione, and when she had ducked, it hit the building behind her, sending it down on top of her. If it hadn't been for Draco, she would have been crushed to death. She owed her life to him, and had convinced the Order to accept him.

"Hermione, we should find our seats," Toby said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Actually, I'm not feeling well. All those nights studying, I'm afraid I haven't gotten much sleep. I'm just going to go home," she said before walking towards the exit. It had been 20 minutes since Draco had left with Theresa, and she was starting to get concerned.

"Would you like me to take you home?" he asked with concern.

"Oh no. I'll be fine. Enjoy the rest of your night, and let Harry and Ginny know I left," she said before walking out.

She walked into the hallway and saw Draco standing there alone. Walking over, she laid her hand on his shoulder. "Is everything all right, Draco?"

He sighed, and said, "Yeah, it's great." He stopped speaking for a minute then said, "I ended it with Theresa."

"You did?" Hermione was inwardly jumping up and down.

"Don't sound so upset about it, Granger. I know you're thrilled," he smirked at her. He could always read her clearly.

"Well, I never did think she was right for you," Hermione said, crossing her arms.

"Is that so? Tell me Granger, who _do_ you think is right for me?" He said, inching closer to her.

Hermione's heart started beating erratically as he drew closer to her. She back up slowly until she hit the wall. "What makes you think you'll accept my opinion?" She breathed.

He put his hands on both sides of her head on the wall. He leaned close and said, "Why wouldn't I?"

Before she could respond, he closed the distance with his lips. Hermione couldn't think, she couldn't register the fact that Draco Malfoy was kissing her.

They broke apart, both breathless. He said softly, "Let's get out of here."

All Hermione could do was nod. He grabbed her hand and they walked to the floo, flooing to her one bedroom apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So first of all...how about that Super Bowl? I was so crushed and disappointed, I couldn't even watch the entire game. I am still a dedicated Broncos fan, but that was pitiful and sad! But hey, reaching the Super Bowl is an accomplishment in itself, and I am proud of my team!**

**Also, the buzz about J.K. Rowling regretting pairing Ron and Hermione?! What are your thoughts on that? I have my own, but I'd love to hear yours! **

**Okay, so enough of my ranting on that. This chapter took me about 5 times of rewriting! I still don't know if I'm completely satisfied with it. And I know it's quite a bit shorter than the first chapter, but I'm hoping that the following chapters will be longer. (Personally, I like it when the chapters are longer). But I want to thank my beta/co-writer BekaLynne22 for giving me ideas and helping me get this chapter going. I hope you enjoy it, and let me know your thoughts!**

**A/N: Feb. 10, 2014: Corrected a mistake I made that I didn't catch until someone (Guest) pointed out to me that Hermionew as training to become a Healer in the first chapter. In this chapter, I had her previously working at Flourish and Blotts. My mistake and thank you for pointing that out to me!**

**WARNING: Implied rape in this chapter. I'm glad I gave this an M rating.**

**Memo: Flashbacks are in **_italic._

_**Chapter 2:**_

"Mummy," a little voice whispered.

Hermione woke up immediately and looked at her little girl. "What's the matter sweetie?" she whispered, stroking her hair.

"I had a nightmare," she cried.

"Oh sweetie-"

"Will you shut up? I'm trying to sleep!"

"Adalyn had a nightmare, Toby."

"I don't bloody care! Just take care of it so I can get some sleep!" he grumbled.

Hermione flinched, but didn't argue. She grabbed her daughters hand and walked her out of the room.

"Mummy, why was daddy mean?"

"Oh, he wasn't being mean sweetie, he's just tired and needs his sleep," Hermione said quietly so she wouldn't wake her husband. "Just like you need your sleep," she said while helping her daughter back into her bed. After tucking her in, Hermione sat on the edge of the bed and gently ran her hand through her daughter's long blonde curls. "Now, what's this about a nightmare?"

"I dreamed you went away from me, and you never come back," she said, clinging to her blue dragon.

"Oh sweetie, mummy would never leave you. I love you too much to go anywhere without you," she reassured her.

"Mummy promises you won't leave me? Ever?"

Hermione looked into her daughter's wide, silver eyes. "Adalyn Rose, I made a promise to you when you were first born. I looked into your eyes, and I promised that no matter what happens in this world, I will always be there for you. I will never leave you, I will protect you from harm, and I will love you forever."

"That's a good promise mummy."

"It is. And I will _never_ break that promise. Now, you get some sleep. Momma loves you."

"I love you too mummy," she said softly before going back to sleep.

Hermione sat there for a few minutes watching her daughter sleep. Eight years ago, she and Toby had been blessed with Adalyn Rose. When she first found out she was pregnant, Hermione panicked. She had been with Toby one night, and she hadn't wanted to burden him with her unborn child. But when she told him, he was overjoyed, and had proposed to Hermione. Two weeks later, they were married and had moved into a 3 bedroom flat in muggle London. For the first few months of their marriage, Hermione had finished her training towards becoming a Healer at St. Mungos, but Toby started to worry that she was overworking herself, and demanded that she stop working, for the sake of the baby. She agreed only on the condition that she return to work five months after their baby was born.

When Adalyn was born, Hermione had never seen anything so precious. Her daughter had captured her heart immediately. Toby was over the moon when she was born, and to Hermione, her life couldn't get any better.

Five months after Adalyn was born, Hermione told Toby that she would be returning to work. Toby was furious with her, telling her that she was abandoning her family for some stupid, worthless job at a bookstore. He said she was an unfit mother for wanting to leave her child. She had argued back, and defended herself as a mother, but when he had hit her, she backed down. Toby had apologized to her for it, and Hermione had forgiven him. She loved Toby, and knew he was a good husband and father. They had both just lost their temper. But she let the matter of going back to work drop for good.

They had gone on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Toby continued working at the Ministry in the Department of Security, while Hermione stayed home and raised their daughter.

Things were normal, until five years into their marriage. Hermione had gone to her cousin, Sarah's bachelorette party and had come home late. Toby was furious and demanded to know where and who Hermione was with.

"_Toby, I told you tonight was Sarah's bachelorette party. We went out for drinks," she said casually, hanging her jacket up._

"_No, you didn't tell me! Now where were you, and who were you with?" he asked, raising his voice._

"_Toby, be quiet. Adalyn is asleep," she shushed him, before walking to the kitchen._

"_Don't you dare tell me to be quiet!" he shouted, roughly grabbing her arm._

"_Toby, let go," she pleaded._

"_I won't have my wife sleeping around like a common whore, and then lying to my face!"_

"_I am not sleeping around Toby! I love you!" she said, still trying to release his strong grip on her arm._

"_Don't you lie to me!"_

"_And don't call me a whore!" she shouted back._

_Without hesitation, he backhanded her across the face. Hermione went flying across the floor. Toby walked over to her and grabbed the back of her hair and forced her to look at him. "Don't you ever talk back to me again!" He pushed her head down and stormed out of the house, without looking back._

He never apologized for that, and he hadn't apologized for anything he did to her since. Over the next three years, it seemed to get worse. He wouldn't let her leave the house expect to shop for groceries, pick up the mail, or take Adalyn to school. He refused to let her see or communicate with any of her friends. Hermione was completely shut out from the world, and most days she felt like giving up. But Adalyn was the one thing that kept her going. Thankfully, Adalyn was never around when Toby would get into one of his rages, and Hermione prayed she would never have to witness it. Adalyn loved her daddy, and Hermione didn't want her to have her witness her father whom she adores, acting like that.

Hermione sighed and gave Adalyn a light kiss on the forehead, before closing her door. She walked past her bedroom and went to the bathroom, closing the door. She turned on the light and forced herself to look in the mirror. Brushing away her long, chestnut curls, she winced when she saw her reflection. Her left eye was swollen and already turning black and blue. She had a cut on her lip and a bruise on her cheek.

Toby wouldn't let her use healing ointments, or let her use her wand for treatment or glamour charms. He said it would remind her of what she did wrong. She tried to hide it from Adalyn as best as she could. She always wore her hair down and wore turtleneck sweaters to cover the bruises and cuts on her body. Every night he would check her wand to make sure she didn't use it for anything he didn't approve of. The truth was that he didn't trust her. Hermione scoffed at her reflection.

"_Who were you talking to?"_

"_Adalyn's teacher. He was telling me about a field trip her class will be going on this Friday and he was giving me details about it."_

"_I don't want you talking to him."_

"_What? He is her teacher, how can I not talk to him?"_

"_Find a way! I forbid you to see him."_

"_See him? I'm not seeing him!"_

"_How the hell am I supposed to know that? For all I know you're inviting him over to shag you while I'm at work!"_

_Hermione slapped him across the face before she realized what she had done. _

_He retaliated fast and punched her in the face. "Don't you hit me whore! I own you! You are mine! I can do whatever the hell I want with you!" She whimpered and he turned her around so she could see his face. "You don't believe me? Why don't I show you?" He pushed her to the ground and held tightly to her hands while he undid his pants and pulled her skirt up._

Hermione sighed. She knew she shouldn't have slapped him. That had pushed him over the edge, and she had paid for it. It wasn't often that he forced himself onto her, but when he did, he would remind her how much of a whore she really was, and that it shouldn't be new to her. She was disgusted with him and herself. She used to be strong willed, but somehow, he had broken her.

Many times Hermione thought about leaving him or turning him in. But she couldn't bear the thought of Adalyn losing her daddy. Adalyn loved and adored her daddy so much, that Hermione didn't have the heart to take her away from him. He had never once raised a hand to Adalyn, and for that Hermione was grateful. She just needed to watch her step and listen to him. If she was punished then she would take it, as long as he didn't punish Adalyn.

Hermione wiped at the tears falling down her face before leaving the bathroom. She walked back to her room where Toby was sleeping peacefully. She hated living in the same house as him; she hated sleeping in the same bed as him, especially what he had done to her a few hours before. But if he caught her sleeping on the couch or with Adalyn, he would punish her again.

Something changed in Toby when he beat her and first accused her of cheating three years ago. He lost his trust in her, and she couldn't figure out why. What had she done to make him lose his trust in her? But not only had he lost his trust in her, but he had also started distancing himself from Adalyn. Hermione would notice the way he looked at Adalyn, like he was studying her and couldn't figure something out. She knew Adalyn was becoming aware of how her father would refuse to play with her, read to her, or put her to bed. She saw the hurt in her eyes when he would ignore her as if she wasn't even there. That was what Hermione the most, seeing the hurt in her little girls' eyes, but Adalyn never asked why, and she never cried to her about it.

Hermione sniffed and wiped her face again. She would get nowhere with her rambling thoughts. She knew tomorrow would be another long day. Grudgingly, she shuffled over to the bed and pulled up the covers.

Suddenly Toby said, "Did you get the brat to sleep?"

"Yes, she's asleep," she replied before closing her eyes, with a lone tear running down her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So first of all, my beta/cowriter didn't get a chance to look over this chapter because she recently lost her best friend/horse, Dakotah, and she is pretty torn up about it. So if there are any mistakes, it's all my fault, and let me know and I can go through and change them.**

**I hope you are satisfied with this chapter. It was so hard for me to write the first part of this, simply because it hits close to home. (Pardon the pun)**

**Secondly, it's my birthday! 'I don't know about you, but I'm feelin' 22!' Yes, I am 22 and it feels great! So you should feel honored that I took time out from my brithday to post this chapter ;) (Since it's my birthday, can I get reviews for my present?) :D **

**Thirdly, I am absolutely astounded at how many followers I have with this story already! You guys are awesome and I thank you for taking time to read my story and follow it, wanting more.**

**Now, on with the show! Enjoy!**

_**Chapter 3:**_

"And then Mr. Davis said I was the fastest reader!" Adalyn exclaimed before taking another bite of her roast and potatoes.

"That's wonderful sweetie! I'm so proud of you," Hermione said, sending a genuine smile to her daughter.

Adalyn smiled back then look to her father. "Are you proud of me too daddy?"

"Hm? Sure," he mumbled.

Hermione frowned at him. He wasn't even listening to Adalyn! She looked at Adalyn and saw that she was put out by her father's response.

"Adalyn, if you're finished eating, why don't you go to your room and play for a while before bedtime," Hermione said, wanting to remove the hurt look in her daughters eyes.

Adalyn brightened up and asked, "Can daddy play with me too?" She looked to her father, who acted like he hadn't heard her.

"Uh, daddy is still eating. If he feels like it, he might play with you afterwards."

Adalyn's excitement diminished and Hermione felt her heart breaking. She watched her walk out of the kitchen dragging her blue dragon with her.

After she was out of the room, Hermione looked to Toby. He continued eating, acting like she wasn't there and he hadn't just crushed his daughter by ignoring her. Hermione sighed and stood up, taking her plate and Adalyn's to the sink.

"You can at least pretend to be proud of her or dignify her questions with a response," Hermione said, while she started washing the dishes.

"Why should I bother?" Came his grumbled reply.

"Because she is your daughter, and all she wants is some love from her father," she said, refusing to look at him. She was scared that if she looked at him, she'd lose her courage for saying her piece on the matter.

"Because she's my daughter?" he growled. Hermione noticed his voice was closer, and it was so cold and detached as if it wasn't Toby who was speaking. Before Hermione could react, he had grabbed her arms and turned her around. "Listen here! I am sick of your lies and your pathetic self! All you do is complain that I don't pay attention to that little brat. Tell me, what other lies have you told me?" His grip on her arms were getting stronger, and Hermione was starting to panic.

"What on earth are you talking about Toby?" she said shakily.

"You know bloody well what I'm talking about," he said.

She shook him off and walked around the table. "Look, I don't know what this is about, but your daughter is just trying to connect with her father who she adores, but you won't give her a chance! You keep pushing her away and it is breaking her heart!"

"I don't need your input!" he shouted.

"Well you obviously do, because I can't stand seeing her hurt anymore! So either you start acting like a father or so help me I'll-"

She was cut off when he hit her across the face, sending her flying into the table and onto the floor. Hermione groaned when she tried to get up, but her head hurt too much and everything was blurry and spinning. Before she could gain her senses back, she felt a constriction on her throat.

"I'm tired of your backtalk! You don't tell me what to do! And don't you dare tell me how to be a father!" he yelled at her before pulling on her hair so she would look at him. "What? Are you going to try to take her away from me? I'd like to see you bloody try!" he said before slapping her.

"Don't-"

"You will not take her away from me! There is no way in hell I will let her go with a weak minded, pathetic excuse for a woman!"

His grip on her hair got stronger, and she was slowly losing consciousness. "Please-"

"You would leave me? You're loving husband?" He shouted before slamming her head into the floor.

"Daddy! No daddy! Stop!" Adalyn cried.

Hermione could feel everything slipping away, until she heard a shout. It seemed so far away, but she knew that cry. She tried to hold onto that cry.

"Blasted kid!" Toby shouted before releasing Hermione, leaving her limp on the floor, and walking towards Adalyn. He grabbed her arm and started dragging her out of the room.

"No daddy! Let me go!" Adalyn cried.

_SLAP!_

Adalyn screamed and cried for her mother.

"Stop your crying you little brat!" Toby shouted.

She continued to scream and cry, trying to break free from her father's grasp. "Mummy!"

Hermione heard her cries, and she struggled to get up. She struggled to get to her daughter before he could hurt her. After she heard the slap, she gained some inner strength.

_SLAP!_

"Don't you touch my daughter!" Hermione shouted before hitting Toby with a frying pan, knocking him out.

Looking at his still form, she gasped and covered her mouth, before collapsing on the floor. _Sweet Merlin what have I done?_

"Mummy," came a small whimper beside her.

"Oh sweetie," she exclaimed while reaching for her daughter.

"Mummy hurt," Adalyn said, touching her mother's cut and swollen cheek.

"I know sweetie." She wrapped her daughter up in her arms. Her strength was leaving her again, and her vision was becoming cloudy again. "Adalyn, grab my hand and don't let go, no matter what," she said firmly.

Adalyn nodded and did as she was told. Hermione used what strength she had left and apparated her and her daughter away.

After the spinning sensation stopped, Hermione saw that they were in Diagon Alley, but no one was around. The streets were empty aside from the pouring rain, a semi-conscious woman, and a terrified little girl.

Adalyn clung to her mother and her blue dragon. "Mummy, where are we?"

Hermione looked at her daughter's angelic face. Everything was blurry, but she could see her bright silver eyes clearly. "D-Dra-co," she said softly before collapsing.

"Mummy? Mummy wake up! Mummy what do I do? Mummy!" Adalyn cried, her cries falling on deaf ears, as her mother lost consciousness.

oOo~oOo~oOo

Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. His partner was in his office, and both were trying to go over possible leads for their recent case. It was a minor case, but because it barely had any evidence and there were no leads on it, it had been bumped from some Junior Aurors up to the top team of Aurors.

Someone kept trying to break into the Department of Mysteries, but because that department is full of Unspeakables, they could get nowhere with the case. It's difficult enough figuring out what the person's motive was, but once you get there, there are five or six doors to choose from, so you have no clue which one he was trying to go through, or what he was after.

Draco was furious with the case, and looking at his partner, he'd say he was furious as well.

"Look, how about we put this to rest for tonight. Tomorrow we will get a fresh start on it," Draco suggested.

"You're right. If I get home late again, Ginny will literally have my head," Harry said, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

"Ginny still sore about the other night then, huh?" Draco smirked.

Harry replaced his glasses and sent Draco a playful glare. "Yes, for reasons beyond my belief, she doesn't appreciate it when I come home sloshed and sing Twisted Sister at the top of my lungs."

Draco chuckled. "Yeah well, imagine going home, where your mother is, and you're sloshed and singing Twisted Sister at the top of your lungs. I thought my mother was going to kill me on the spot."

"True, but Ginny can be pretty terrifying as well. She and Hermione were both prodigies at the Bat Bogey Hex and I still fear it to this day," Harry said, before lowering his head.

Draco noticed the faraway look in Harry's eyes when he mentioned Hermione. Now he looked like he regretted even bringing her up.

"When was the last time you heard from her?" Draco asked.

"Three years ago," Harry sighed.

"How could you not have spoken to her for three years? She's your best friend, practically your sister!" Draco said.

"You think I don't know that? It's killed me not being able to see her or talk to her, but according to Toby, she doesn't want to speak to me," Harry said, his eyes glistening.

Draco shook his head but remained silent. He hadn't meant to work Harry's emotions up. He knew how he felt when Hermione had stopped talking to him.

Draco hated to admit it, but when she had left, he was heartbroken. He thought she might have freaked out but would realize that they could work, but then he found out from Harry that she had married that Toby Lennox, and Draco was crushed. He had withdrawn into his work or booze. He and George usually hit the Leaky Cauldron every other night, trying to drown their sorrows and loss, but it wasn't enough. It didn't heal the hurt he felt when he realized she was out of his life for good.

His mother had given him a reality check, and he got back up on his feet. He was Draco Malfoy, and he would not let some girl, particularly Hermione Granger, ruin his entire life. He'd try to hide his hurt and joy when Harry and Ginny would gush about Hermione and her daughter. But then three years ago, Harry had come into the office and looked like someone had killed his dog. Come to find out, Hermione had ceased talking to him. Apparently Toby had come to his office and told Harry that Hermione was going through things and needed space from him. Harry was adamant to see her, but Toby held him back and said it would only ruin their friendship as it is; to just give her time. In Draco's opinion, three years was plenty enough time to figure her life out.

Draco sighed. "I'm sorry Harry; I shouldn't have brought it up." Harry nodded but remained silent. "Come on; let's get out of here so Ginny doesn't hex your arse."

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, but at least I won't come home loaded."

"Or singing Twisted Sister," Draco added.

While walking out of the Ministry, Draco thought back to when Harry had first found out about Hermione not wanting to speak to him. Draco had taken Harry to the Leaky Cauldron with George and they all had gotten sloshed. While they were drinking at the bar, Harry had gotten up on the bar and started singing a song by Twisted Sister—a muggle band that Harry introduced to Draco—and even though they didn't know the words, Draco and George had joined him. Since then, it was a ritual of theirs. They'd go to the Leaky Cauldron, have a few drinks, and sing that blasted song the entire way home. Suffice it to say, Ginny, Angelina, and Draco's mother were not partial to the song or the singing.

"You sure you don't want to come by for dinner?" Harry asked when they reached their apparition point.

"Yeah, I need to make a stop in Diagon Alley. George wanted me to come by, said he had a brilliant idea for a new product."

"I don't understand why you ever volunteered to be his co-owner. I'd fear for my life if I were you," Harry laughed.

"Yeah well, I what was I supposed to do? Let Weasel be co-owner? I'd rather be turned purple than have Weasel co-own that shop."

"You may yet be turned purple!" Harry said, not bothering to defend Ron because they'd be there all night.

"Go home Potter, or I'll hex your arse myself," Draco said.

Laughing, Harry gave him a final wave before apparating. Draco turned and walked towards the Leaky Cauldron. After greeting Tom, he went to the back and moved the bricks. It was pouring rain in Diagon Alley as it was in muggle London, but Draco hardly noticed. His mind was so preoccupied with the case and Hermione Granger.

He didn't even know why she left. She left no explanation for him. But that pain was nothing compared to when he found out she got married, and so quickly after that wonderful night.

His raging thoughts were interrupted by crying. He turned in the direction of the sound, and through the pouring rain, he saw a little girl, around 7 or 8 years old, with long, curly, blonde hair, crying and clinging to another figure.

He rushed over and knelt down. "Are you alright?" She looked up at him, and he couldn't help the gasp that left his lips. He saw a bruise on her cheek that looked fresh.

"Mu—mummy won't w—wake up," she sobbed.

"Here, let me check your mummy," he said reaching out to her mother.

The little girl whimpered when he touched her mother. "It's okay. I'm here to help. You're alright now."

She seemed to believe him, and she released her mother, continuing to whimper.

Draco turned her mother over so he could get a look at her and check her for injuries. He gently brushed aside her hair from her face. His eyes widened and his heart leapt into his throat. "Hermione?"

**A/N: Just to let you know, I simply chose Twisted Sister because I was listening to them and "We're Not Gonna Take It" when I wrote that part. And yes, I am a big 70s/80s music fan! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews, few birthday wishes, and followers I am getting for this story! You all are amazing! And I'm loving all your thoughts and opinions on Toby. Yes, I despise him as well, and look foward to when Draco and Harry get their hands on him.**

**I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! I think it turned out pretty good. I've tried to keep Draco and Harry in character so I'm nervous about how I did with that. Let me know your thoughts! Also, I am looking for someone who would like to do fan art for this story. I'm absolutely terrible at drawing and I'm not good at molding pictures together on Tumblr so if anyone is interested, please let me know! **

**Enjoy!**

_Chapter 4:_

Draco sighed for the hundredth time since bringing Hermione and her daughter to St. Mungo's. He had been waiting for almost two hours, and he was on the border of losing control if no one told him what was going on.

He sat down and rubbed his eyes. Who would do that to Hermione and her daughter? They were obviously in some kind of trouble. Where was her husband during all of this? Why were they in Diagon Alley? Question after question ran through his mind, but he was nowhere near answering them.

"Draco?"

Draco looked up and saw one of his best friends, Pansy Parkinson, standing in the doorway. Draco stood up and asked, "How are they?"

Pansy sighed. "Draco, you know I can't tell you their condition without her appro—"

"Dammit Pansy, I'm an Auror and I found them beaten up on the street. This will be investigated, but you need to just tell me how they are!"

Pansy sighed. "The little girl is fine, just a few bruises on her face, nothing severe. She's scared and worried about her mother, but we gave her some calming draught and Dreamless Sleep potion, so she will be out for a few hours at least." She paused and looked away from Draco.

"What about Hermione?" Draco asked worriedly.

She looked up at him and said, "We are still running tests on her. The damage to her brain is severe; I'm honestly surprised she lasted as long as she has. She has numerous bruises and cuts all over her body, but some are faded, meaning that she's been beaten over a period of time. How much time, we don't know and we won't until she—"

"It was her bloody husband!" Draco growled, his hands fisting.

"Draco, you can't assume that. There is no evidence that it was him. Anyone could have done this to her."

"If she was beaten over a period of time, who else would have done it? Where is her husband? If it wasn't him that did it, don't you think he'd be looking for her? Why wouldn't she run to him?"

Pansy was silent.

Draco started to speak when a stag patronus arrived. "Toby Lennox just notified me through the office. Hermione and her daughter are missing. Meet me at the office," Harry's voice said through the stag, before it vanished.

"You see? He notified the Aurors. Now you can let Harry and Toby know that they are here," Pansy said.

"I can't do that and you know it," Draco said, rubbing his temples. "It could be a ploy to get her back and beat her senseless again. I'm not going to allow him to see either of them until this whole thing is investigated, and you will not say anything to anyone. No other auror aside from Harry and I. I'll let Harry know what's going on."

Pansy nodded. "I'll let you know of any changes with Hermione. I'll watch them both and inform my staff not to utter a word to anyone."

Draco grasped her shoulder. "Thank you Pansy." He gave her a small smile before turning away. He just knew Toby was the dirt bag responsible for what happened to Hermione and her daughter, and he'd stop at nothing to prove it.

oOo~oOo~oOo

Draco arrived at the Ministry right after leaving the hospital. It was empty, seeing as how everyone had gone home for the night.

Draco groaned. For eight years he had managed to not think about her, not imagine her life without him. Then on the one night that he brings her up to Harry, she shows up. But it's the condition that she showed up in that had Draco on edge. Who would ever beat her like that? And over a period of time? Draco was also distressed about her daughter. Draco didn't fail to notice her silver eyes when he found them, but he didn't think much on it until now. There was no possible way she got her eyes from her mother or her father. In all honesty, he had only seen that color of eyes on one person, and that was himself. But there was no way that was possible.

Before he could think more on it, he came to the Auror Department and went to Harry's office. He walked in, and saw Harry behind his desk and a man with blonde hair sitting in front of him. The man turned around and Draco immediately recognized him. He looked exactly that same as when he had met him at the gala eight years ago. The man who stole his future.

"Draco, this is Toby Lennox, Hermione's husband." Draco gave a short nod, and Toby gave one back. "Hermione and their daughter have been missing for a few hours," Harry informed him.

Draco nodded and sat down on the corner of Harry's desk. "Mr. Lennox, it usually has to be that a person goes missing for at least 24 hours before anything can be done through the Auror Department."

"Yes I'm aware, but both my wife and daughter are missing. Anything could have happened to him!" He said.

Draco had to hand it to him, he was playing the part of a worried husband and father well. But Draco could see through the façade. "Mr. Lennox, may I ask what happened to your head?"

Toby looked shocked and then confused. "I-I'm sorry?"

"The side of your head. I can see the glimmer of the concealment charm and wondered what happened," Draco said calmly.

Toby looked from Harry to Draco. They both remained silent. "Why are you questioning me? You should be out there looking for my wife and my daughter!"

"It's just a simple question, and I suggest you answer it," Draco said sternly.

Toby sighed. "I got in a bar fight the other night in downtown London."

"May I ask what bar?"

"I don't bloody remember! I was drunk! I had had a long day at work and things were stressful so I went out for drinks, and had one to many."

Draco didn't say anything. He'd file away that information for later use.

"Mr. Lennox, I'm sorry, but they have to be missing for at least 24 hours. If they haven't returned by then, then we will search for them," Harry said.

Toby stood up and pointed his finger at Harry. "She's your best friend, and you're just going to sit here and do nothing, while they could be out there hurt and dying?"

"I can't do anything! It's against policy to search for them before the 24 hours are up," Harry said while standing up. Draco could tell he was about to lose it. "Mr. Lennox, just go home and wait for them to return. If they haven't shown up by this time tomorrow, inform us, and we will do everything we can to find them," Harry said, as calmly as he could.

Toby glared at both Harry and Draco, before turning and leaving the office, slamming the door behind him.

"I can see what Hermione saw in him. He's a ray full of sunshine!" Draco said sarcastically.

Harry sighed heavily before falling back in his chair. "Draco, we have to find her! If anything has happened—"

"Harry—"

"to either of them, I'll never forgive myself. I don't care if we—"

"Harry!"

"aren't allowed to look for them. She's my best friend, and I won't just sit here and—"

"Potter!"

"We have to find her Draco!" Harry said, looking at Draco.

"I already have," Draco said calmly.

"You what?" Harry shouted, jumping out of his chair.

"I found them both in Diagon Alley, but—"

"Well where are they? Draco where—"

"Harry there's a few things you need to know before I take you to them, and you're not going to like what I have to tell you."

Harry nodded.

Draco sat down and cast a locking charm on the door and put a silencing charm on the office. "You might want to take a seat."

Harry sat down, his eyes never leaving Draco. Draco sighed before telling Harry what would surely break his heart and set him on a rampage.

oOo~oOo~oOo

Harry stormed into St. Mungo's with Draco tailing him. "Where is she?" he demanded to the front desk receptionist.

"I-I'm sorry, but who?" she asked timidly.

"Hermione Granger, er, Lennox," Harry said.

The girl waved her wand and a file came flying into her hands. "Uh, she just came out of surgery."

"Where is she?" Harry shouted, slamming his hand into the desk.

The girl jumped. "Ward C, Room 319. But you can't go in there!"

Harry and Draco ran through the halls, ignoring the girl's warning. "Ward C. That's extreme cases!" Draco heard Harry muttering to himself.

They finally found the ward, and were about to find the room when Pansy stepped in their way.

"Pansy, how is she?" Draco asked. He had told Harry that Pansy was in charge of her case, and that she would keep an eye on her.

"She's resting. We had to perform surgery on her head because her brain was swelling."

Draco's breath hitched and Harry looked like he was about to be sick.

"Don't worry, the surgery went fine. We couldn't diagnose it or perform any spells on her brain because the damage was too extensive. But she should be fine. She's still knocked out from the potions we gave her but she should wake in about five hours," she said, looking at her watch.

They both sighed in relief.

"What about her daughter? Has she woken up yet?" Draco asked.

"Yes, and she's been asking for her mother, but with her just getting out of surgery she needs all the rest she can get, so I can't allow her to see her just yet," Pansy said sadly.

"Can we talk to her, try to find out what exactly happened?" Harry asked.

Pansy smiled. "That'd be fine, but just don't get her worked up. She really should be resting as well." She led them to the children's ward which was to the right of where Hermione was. She stopped at a door and said, "If you need me, I'm just down the hall."

Harry and Draco nodded and thanked her. They opened the door and found the little girl sitting in her bed reading a book. They walked in and stood there hesitantly.

Before either could say anything, the little girl spoke. "Who are you?"

"Uh, I'm Mr. Potter, and this is Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, before walking over to the chairs. "Do you mind if we sit and talk to you a bit?"

The girl looked at them both closely. After looking at Draco she said, "You found me and my mummy."

"Yeah, I did. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. I miss my mummy. Where is my mummy?" She started to get tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry. Your mummy is just fine. She's sleeping right now, and I know that when she wakes up she'll want to see you," Harry said.

The little girl nodded and didn't say anything.

"What is your name?" Draco asked. He was curious about this little girl who had the same eyes as he did.

"Adalyn Rose Lennox," she said proudly.

"And how old are you Adalyn?" Harry asked.

"I'm eight," she said before turning back to her book.

"What book are you reading?" Draco asked.

"Hogwarts A History. It's my favorite," she said without looking up.

Harry chuckled. "She's definitely Hermione's daughter."

"Adalyn, who are your parents? Do you know their names?" Draco asked.

Adalyn nodded and looked up. "My mummy's name is Hermione, and my daddy's name is Toby," she said, getting quieter when she said Toby's name.

"Very good. Now, can you tell us what happened tonight? Before Mr. Malfoy found you?" Harry asked.

"We were eating supper. Mummy made roast and potatoes and it was so good. Mummy is a really good cook!" Harry and Draco chuckled. "I told mummy and daddy about how good I did in school, and mummy was so happy for me! Then she told me to go play before bed. So I took Draconis to my room to play."

"Who is Draconis?" Harry asked, glancing at Draco.

"My dragon!" She exclaimed before pulling out a stuffed blue dragon from her blankets. "I call him Draconis because he is a dragon, and Draconis means 'dragon.' Mummy told me that, and she said that it is a star too!"

"Your mummy is absolutely right," Draco said, smiling at her.

"So what happened after you took Draconis to your room?" Harry asked.

Adalyn stopped smiling and looked frightened. "I heard my mummy screaming and crying. I heard someone yelling at her. I went to help her and she was hurt. I didn't know what to do. The bad man hurt my mummy. And he hurt me too. Mummy hit him and we disappeared and it was raining. Mummy stopped talking and I cried. Then you found us," she cried pointing to Draco.

"Do you know who hurt you and your mum? Who was the bad man?" Harry asked.

Adalyn started crying even more.

"Adalyn, where was your father? Did he hurt you and your mum?" Draco asked.

She started crying even more. "I want my mummy! Where's my mummy! Mummy!"

"Go get Pansy," Draco said to Harry.

Harry ran out of the room looking for Pansy, while Draco tried to calm Adalyn.

"Shhh, you'll get to see you mummy soon," he said, rubbing her arms.

"Do—do you promise?" she said between tears.

"I promise," he said, looking into her silver eyes. Merlin, it was like looking into a mirror. Before he could say anything or think any more about it, Harry and Pansy came through the door.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Pansy asked.

"I want my mummy, but this man said I can see her soon," she said pointing to Draco.

"Yes sweetie, you'll get to see her when she wakes up. Now let's get you to bed, so you can be bright and cheerful when you see your mummy," Pansy said, shooing the boys out the room and tucking Adalyn in.

"Mr. Malfoy, will I see you again?" Adalyn asked.

Draco turned around and smiled. "I hope so Adalyn. Sweet dreams."

She smiled at him and lay back down with her dragon. Draco closed the door behind him and sighed. He really hoped he would see her again; as well as her mother.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, it's been a rough week for me, so bear with me. My boyfriend broke up with me right after Valentine's Day (sucks to be me, right?), and I haven't gotten much sleep since then. But I think this chapter is up to par, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. **

**I did a flashback in this chapter (Thanks Dreamgrint for the idea) and I hope you are satisfied with it. The flashback is in** _italics._** I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.**

_Chapter 5_

Draco and Harry remained at the hospital the rest of the night; waiting for Hermione to wake up. Harry had flooed to his house to inform Ginny that he'd be at St. Mungos working on a case. They had agreed not to tell Ginny about Hermione, at least not at the present moment. Harry knew he'd get hell from her once she found out, but he knew Ginny would fly off the handle when she found out about Hermione.

"How could this have happened to her…to Hermione?" Harry said softly. He was sitting in the waiting room with his head down and his hands clasped in front of him.

Draco sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I don't know. Hermione is a fighter; always has been. So my question is why did she, of all people, let someone do this to her over a period of time? Why not fight back? And her daughter…"

After a few minutes of silence, Harry said, "It's funny. When Adalyn was born, her eyes were silver, but I assumed they'd change color after a few years."

Draco's head snapped up. "Yeah?" He didn't want to sound too interested in Adalyn's eyes. But in all honesty, Draco's interest in the girl was high.

Harry looked at him with an almost knowing look, which made Draco a bit uncomfortable. "Adalyn is eight years old, yeah?" Draco didn't say anything, so he continued. "And the last time you saw Hermione was about eight years ago at the gala, correct?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at his partner. "Just what are you getting at, Potter?"

"Come on Draco, you're smart. Connect the dots here," Harry said, smugly.

Draco looked away from Harry. Harry was right. It was close to eight years ago when he and Hermione had gotten together, and Adalyn was eight years old. She had his silver eyes, and even the blonde hair, but it was a little darker than his. Could she-? No, it wasn't possible. Was it?

_He arrived a second after she did to her flat. He looked around at her small living room, but it had a comforting feel to it. The walls were lined with bookshelves which were overflowing with books—muggle and magical. Books and parchment were strung all over the coffee table. "Studying?" He asked._

"_Oh, yeah. Sorry about the mess. I can fix—"_

"_No, it's alright. I'm not here to observe the cleanliness of your flat," he smirked before kissing her. Merlin he could live off of her kisses! He kissed her hungrily until he couldn't breathe any more. _

_Hermione's eyes were closed, and every breathe she took was like a kiss of heaven on his face. "Draco," she whispered._

"_Hermione," he whispered back, before kissing her again. _

_She took his jacket and tie off, while he worked his fingers through her hair, her silver hair pins falling to the floor. She walked him backwards to what he assumed was her bedroom, and they never broke their kiss. He couldn't break the kiss. He felt as if she was the one thing keeping him grounded with that kiss. _

_They broke apart when the back of his knees hit the bed. He looked at her, and really looked at her for what seemed like the first time. The moon light coming through the window reflected off her creamy skin, and her blue dress. Her chocolate eyes were glistening with uncertainty, desire, and love. Draco ran his hand gently down her jaw line, her neck, and her shoulder until it hit the strap of her dress. He felt her shiver slightly with his touch and he brought his eyes back to hers. _

_She noticed his hesitation and brought her hand up to her strap, and slowly pulled it off her shoulder. She turned around slowly and Draco brought his lips to her neck, kissing her lightly while unzipping her dress. He heard her sigh and he thought he had never heard a sound as divine as her sigh. Her dress slid off her body like water, and Draco drank in the sight of her. He saw a few scars from what he assumed were from the war, but they didn't faze him. She turned around and looked down, as if she was embarrassed._

"_Don't," Draco said to her, lifting her chin up. "You look beautiful."_

"_No, I-I sometimes forget about these and I-"_

"_Don't. They don't make a difference to your beauty. They are as much a part of you as your freckles are," he said, while tapping her nose. "They each have their own story, and although the stories may not be memorable, the fact that you are here alive today shows how strong you truly are. These scars don't define who you are, and you shouldn't let them." _

_She smiled at him softly before kissing him slowly. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down slowly. __He suddenly pulled back and asked, "Hermione, are you-"_

"_I want this Draco. I want you."_

_He kissed her and continued to kiss her while he made love to her._

"_Draco, I love you."_

_Those four words surrounded him, and he pulled her close. "I love you, Hermione."_

"Draco?"

"Hm?" Draco's head snapped up and realized he missed something Harry had said.

"Pansy just told me that Hermione is awake, and we can go see her."

"Oh, uh right," he stuttered before rubbing his face and standing up.

"Are you alright? You look a little green," Harry said.

"Of course I'm fine," Draco said firmly. "Lead the way."

Harry sighed and started walking to Hermione's room. They both took a deep breath before opening the door. Draco followed Harry in and shut the door behind him. When he looked up, he saw Hermione sitting up in her bed. She looked just like she had eight years ago, except she had bandages on her arms and bruises on her face.

"Harry!" She exclaimed. Harry went over and gave her a hug.

"Merlin I've missed you 'Mione!" He said, pulling away from her.

"I've missed you too! You look so grown up!" She laughed lightly.

"Well, I am grown up," he laughed.

"Ha-ha, very clever! How is Ginny? Molly and Arthur? How is George do-"

"Whoa! Slow down there 'Mione! Everyone is doing just fine. Molly and Arthur are staying busy with their grandchildren. Ginny is pregnant, and is due in three months-"

Hermione gasped. "Congratulations Harry! You're going to be a father! I'm so happy for you! You'll make an amazing father, I just know it."

"Thanks 'Mione," he said while blushing. "Uh, oh and George is married to Angelina, and he's still working the shop. Actually, he got a new partner to help him out."

"He did?"

"Yeah! Actually Draco here took him up on the offer," he said while gesturing to Draco who was still at the door.

Hermione looked towards Draco. "Hello Draco," she said politely.

"Granger," he nodded.

She seemed taken aback by his response. "So you're uh, helping George run the store? I must say I never expected that to happen. Did you give up being an Auror?"

"No, I'm still an Auror. Actually, Harry here is my partner." He noticed her eyes widen a bit when he said Harry's name. "I just help George out with new products when he needs it."

"Oh, well, th-that's brilliant," she said.

"Indeed. So, if we're done catching up, maybe you can tell us why you're here," he said.

Hermione looked shocked and Harry glared at Draco. "Subtle, Draco."

"What? I for one would like to know why she and her daughter were in Diagon Alley, in the pouring rain, covered in bruises and cuts. You're just as curious as I am," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

Harry glared at him again before turning back to Hermione. She was looking down at her hands which were fiddling with the blankets. "Hermione, Draco's right. We are here to investigate what happened to you and your daughter. Adalyn told us her account of what—"

"What did she say? Oh Merlin I'm a terrible mother! They wouldn't let me see her until I talked to you, but I need to see that she's alright," she said in a rush, with tears forming in her eyes.

"She's alright 'Mione. Trust me," Harry said, laying a hand on her arm to calm her.

She nodded and wiped her tears away. "What do you want to know?"

"Well for starters, who has beating you and your daughter senseless?" Draco said. Harry sent him another glare.

"I can't and I refuse to answer that," Hermione said.

"Why, Granger?" Draco asked, grabbing the end of her bed and leaning towards her.

"Because I-he will find us and-I can't do that to Adalyn. She deserves—"

"She deserves the right to feel safe! How can you sit there and protect the person, the monster who has been beating you both?" Draco shouted.

"He has never beaten Adalyn!" She shouted back.

"Then why were there bruises on her arm and her face?"

"She-she tried to-to stop him," she cried.

"Stop him from what?" Harry asked softly.

"From killing me," she sobbed.

"Granger, tell us who tried to kill you. Tell us who beat your daughter," Draco said, trying to calm his voice.

She shook her head and looked up at Draco and then Harry. "I can't and I won't. I have that right. Now, I'd like to see my daughter." She crossed her arms and glared at them both.

"Hermione—"

"No Harry! I'm done talking! Let me see my daughter. Now."

Harry sighed and looked at Draco, who looked like he was about to throw the bed out the window. Before Harry could say anything to Draco, he turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Harry turned back to Hermione. "Hermione, please. Why can't you tell us, me, who did this to you?"

"Harry I can't. For reasons I only wish I could tell you," she said softly.

"Well can you at least tell me why you stopped talking to me three years ago? I didn't just lose my best friend you know? I lost a sister. When Toby told me you didn't want to talk to me, it broke my heart. So can you at least tell me why?"

Hermione sighed and started crying again. "Harry, I wish I could tell you why. Honestly _I_ don't even know why some days." She looked up and saw that he was close to tears himself and he was torn. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "But I never stopped loving you Harry. I thought about you and Ginny, and the Weasley's constantly. Things were just…I just couldn't talk to you. And I'm deeply sorry about hurting you all. Can you ever forgive me?"

Harry looked into her eyes and saw that she truly was sorry and he saw the conflict in her eyes. Something was holding her back from telling him everything. He sighed and nodded. "Of course I forgive you. You're my sister." He gave her a small smile.

"Oh Harry!" She exclaimed before wrapping her arms around him. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. They broke apart when Pansy walked in. "Hello Mrs. Lennox. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine Pansy. Can I see my daughter now?" She asked anxiously.

"Of course. She's out in the hallway with Draco right now. I'll –"

"Mummy!" Came her daughter's voice. Her daughter threw herself on the bed and hugged her mum.

"Oh sweetie! Are you alright? I am so sorry," Hermione said while checking over Adalyn and hugging her tightly.

"I'm fine mummy! My face hurts but Miss Pansy gave me medicine and waved her wand to make me feel better! I like her. Are you ok mummy? I was scared when you falled asleep and didn't wake up! Then Mr. Malfoy found us and brought us here. I like him too mummy. He's nice."

"What do you mean Mr. Malfoy found us?"

"He found us in the rain mummy! And he knowed your name!"

Hermione looked at Draco with a confused and almost embarrassed look on her face. "_You_ found us?"

He nodded.

"Uh, thank you," she said shyly.

"Draco, we should get going. Let these two get some rest," Harry said standing up.

Draco nodded and was about to walk out the door when Adalyn said, "Draco? His name is Draco mummy! You said his name when you falled asleep!"

Draco spun around and looked at Hermione, who was turning a deep red and refused to look at him. He smirked at her, reveling in this knowledge. _She said _my_ name before she lost consciousness? _

He was about to say something to her when Harry interrupted him. "Alright, Hermione, Adalyn, I'll be by later to see you. Get some rest," he ordered before walking to Draco and dragging him out the door.

"I'll be seeing you later too, Granger," he smirked at her. Her head snapped up and her face was still crimson. He smirked at her one last time before closing the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Woo! Another chapter up so quickly! I've been on a roll with this story, and I hope it stays that way! My brothers have been playing basketball and I've been going to their games as much as I can. Districts are this week and we are rated #2 in our District! I'm so proud! I'm honestly surprised I've updated this quickly!**

**Thanks so much for all the favorites, followers, and reviews! 110 followers! I'm excited! I'm so glad you all are enjoying this story, and I hope I don't let you down! So I know a few of you are getting fed up with Hermione not telling Draco and Harry who hurt her and Adalyn. I'm honestly getting fed up with her too. But we all know how stubborn she is, and she thinks she's doing the right thing. She has it in her head that Toby didn't mean to hurt them and Adalyn still needs her father.**

**Now, I know a few of you are thinking Draco might be Adalyn's father. Hmmmm...all will be revealed. Now remember, Harry and Draco don't know for sure if Draco is the father-it's all just speculation. Hermione hasn't even considered it.**

**Okay, enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

_Chapter 6_

"Mummy, when are Mr. Draco and Mr. Harry coming back?" Adalyn asked from her mother's lap.

Hermione sighed. Ever since Harry and Draco came the day before, Adalyn had been adamant about wanting to see them, especially Draco.

It had been eight years since she had seen Draco, and seeing him again seemed like a slap in the face. He had changed very little, aside from a few age lines and his hair had grown longer, as it had been their sixth year. She hated to admit it, but she loved his hair that length, and loose, falling around his face. She remembered running her hands through his silky hair as he—

Hermione shook her head. She couldn't go back to that night. He had left her heartbroken and she couldn't open that door again.

"Mummy, I like Mr. Draco. He's nice, and he knows things, like you do!"

"Oh? What does he know?" She asked to oblige her daughter, even if the subject was Draco.

"He knows what my dragon's name means, he knows the stars in the sky, he knows all about Hogwarts A History, and he knowed your name mummy!" She rambled on excitedly.

Hermione gave Adalyn a small smile. "Yes sweetie, he knew my name because we went to school together." She figured that was the safest route to go when explaining why Draco knew Hermione.

Adalyn's eyes got wide. "You did? Were you friends like me and Jessica?"

Hermione looked at her and felt like someone was punching her gut. Adalyn looked so hopeful. She wasn't sure if she should tell her about how Draco treated her and her friends in school. She liked him so much, she didn't want to paint a picture of Draco that would confuse or hurt her.

"Well, no, not exactly. Mr. Harry was my best friend in school actually, along with Ron Weasley."

Adalyn scrunched her face up as she thought hard. "Do I know Ron?"

"I don't think you'd remember him. You were only a year old when he last saw you. He plays professional Quidditch."

"He does? Wow! Mummy, can I play Quidditch someday? Can I get a broom? I want to learn to fly! Did you play Quidditch?"

"Uh, I-"

"Actually, you're mum read books during the Quidditch matches." Hermione and Adalyn looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing casually against the door frame.

"Mr. Draco! You came to see me!" Adalyn said, rushing over to him.

He picked her up as if he'd done it his entire life. "Of course I came to see you. I promised I would, didn't I?"

"Yes!" Adalyn said happily.

Hermione couldn't help but see how at ease Adalyn was with Draco, and how Draco was with Adalyn. He had just met her, and he was treating her as if he'd known her forever. He was treating her like a father would his daughter. Hermione for the life of her couldn't remember the last time Toby had held Adalyn or made her smile like that.

"But I also came to speak to your mummy," Draco said to Adalyn, breaking Hermione out of her thoughts. "Mr. Harry is here, and has a surprise for you."

Adalyn's face lit up. "He does? A surprise for me? What is it?"

"You'll just have to see for yourself," he chuckled while setting her down. "He's out in the hallway," he said before she sprinted out the door.

"Thank you," Hermione said, bringing his attention back to her. He gave her a questioning look. "Thank you for being so nice to her."

Draco shrugged. "She's a sweetheart. It'd be hard not to be nice to her." He walked over to the chair beside her bed and sat.

She refused to look at him, for fear of what emotions she would feel, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire time. After a few minutes of silence, she said, "I know why you're here, and you won't get an answer from me."

She heard Draco sigh heavily. She looked over and saw that he was running his hand through his hair, something he did when he was aggravated or stressed, much like Harry. "Granger, why can't you tell us? It's for your own good; for Adalyn's own good."

She looked up at him and stared at him. "Since when am I Granger?"

"Since when do you care?" he snapped back.

Hermione flinched. _Why is he acting like _I_ did something? He's the one who broke _my_ heart. _She looked down at her hands. "Why?" she whispered to herself.

"Why what?"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. It was now or never. She had spent eight years wondering why he did it, and now was as good a time as any. "Why did you leave?"

He looked at her flabbergasted. "_Me_? Why did _I_ leave?" he asked while pointing to himself. "I'm not the one who left and got married and had a child! I never left you and-"

"Yes you did! I woke up the next morning and you were gone! How do you think I felt knowing that I let myself give into my feelings, and give myself to you, only to have you gone the next morning, as if you could have cared less?" She shot back.

"I left only because I had to—you know what? I don't need to justify my actions to you!" He said, standing up.

"So that night didn't matter to you?" she said, crossing her arms across her chest. Inside she was breaking down, but she refused to let him think he was winning this.

"Why do you think it didn't matter to me? I haven't said-"

"You didn't have to say! Your actions were enough to clarify that you didn't care about me and that that night didn't matter to you; that _I_ didn't matter to you!"

"_My_ actions? Who's the one who went off to another man and married him, and had a baby with him? Who was the one who ignored all my owls, or stopped talking to her friends for three damn years? Because it sure as hell wasn't me!"

"I—"

"Hey, you two need to calm down in here. Pansy is about to flip her lid out here, and I had to send Adalyn to the play area!" Harry said stepping into the room.

"I'm sorry Harry. How is Adalyn doing?" Hermione said, avoiding Draco's hurt and piercing eyes.

"She's fine. I got her something to keep her occupied while you're in here," Harry said, noticing the tension in the room.

"Oh, what did you get her?"

"I got her a—"

"Mummy! Look what Mr. Harry got me! It's a Pympy Puff!" Adalyn exclaimed, running into the room and onto Hermione's lap.

"A what?" Hermione asked. Adalyn opened her hands and showed her mum a fluff ball of purple. "Oh, you mean a Pygmy Puff. What are you going to name it?"

"Mr. Harry said it's a girl, so I can't name it Draco," she said sadly, not noticing Harry and Hermione grin and Draco wince. "But I will name her Jill, and she will be my best friend! Like Mr. Draco and Mr. Harry!" She said excitedly.

"I think Jill is an excellent name for her sweetie," Hermione said, running her hand through Adalyn's hair.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," Pansy said, poking her head through the door.

"Not at all Pansy. Come on in," Harry said, stepping to the side to let her in.

"I just wanted to inform you Mrs. Lennox, that although Adalyn is cleared to leave, I would prefer for you to stay at least one more day, just so we can keep an eye on your head injury in case you have a relapse."

"Is that possible?" Harry asked.

"Well it's not uncommon, but it's very rare. With the amount of damage done to your brain, the possibility is higher than most. So as a precaution, we'll keep you another 24 hours to make sure you don't have a relapse," Pansy informed them.

"Thank you Pansy," Draco said.

Pansy smiled and nodded. "If there's anything else I can do, let me know. Oh, and visiting hours are almost up gentlemen. These ladies need their rest," she added before walking out.

"We'll let you rest up Hermione. We'll be by tomorrow to discuss your case—"

"And where you'll be staying," Draco added.

Hermione looked at him curiously. "Why can't we go back home?" She knew she couldn't go back to Toby, but she didn't know if she could go far away. Adalyn still needed her father.

"I think you—"

"We'll discuss it tomorrow," Harry interrupted Draco. He shot him a look and Draco backed away. "Get some rest. Love you Mione," he said while giving her a hug.

"Love you too Harry." She looked at Draco and saw he had a glare on his face. "Good night Draco," she said icily.

"Granger," he nodded.

"Goodnight Mr. Harry and Mr. Draco! I see you tomorrow?" Adalyn asked, oblivious to the tension between her mother and Draco.

"Of course Miss Adalyn!" Draco said, kneeling down to her level.

"Will you miss me?" she asked shyly.

"I'll be counting the minutes until I see you tomorrow," he said giving her a genuine smile. Despite their argument earlier, Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Yay!" she squealed before throwing herself into his arms for a hug.

He hugged her tightly before pulling away. He smiled at her and said, "Goodnight Adalyn."

"Goodnight Mr. Draco! Goodnight Mr. Harry! Thank you for my Pympfy Puff!"

"You're most welcome Adalyn!" Harry smiled at her before opening the door.

Before Draco walked out of the room, he looked back at Hermione one last time. She wasn't sure what crossed his face in that moment, but it looked like heartache and regret. Before she could say anything, he walked out with Harry closing the door behind them.

oOo~oOo~oOo

"Do you think she knows?" Harry asked as they walked out of the hospital.

"Does who know what?" Draco asked, trying not to sound so aggravated. He knew who Harry was talking about; he just wasn't sure where he was going with his question.

"Hermione. Do you think she knows you are Adalyn's father?"

Draco stopped abruptly and turned to look at Harry. "First of all, we don't even know that, so how could Hermione know that? Secondly, if I was Adalyn's father, and Hermione knew, then why the hell would she have married that tosser?"

"Draco, you can't deny she looks almost exactly like you-"

"I know!" Draco shouted. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He had picked up on that habit from Harry, and he knew one day he'd be bald because of it. Draco sighed and looked away. "What if she is mine?" He asked softly.

"Well, it'd be a good thing!" Harry said. "For starters you and Hermione would be-"

"What? We'd be what? Together? In case you don't remember, she made her choice and she chose Toby, not me!" He rounded on Harry. "Even if I was Adalyn's father, Hermione wouldn't want to be with me. She made that clear eight years ago."

Harry stood there staring at Draco. He owed a lot to Draco. Draco had saved his life countless times since he had defected and switched to the Light side. It had taken them a long time to get used to one another, but they respected each other; they trusted each other.

Since working together, they had become friends. Hell, he and Ginny were planning on asking Draco to be their child's godfather. To say he wasn't hurt seeing Draco this way would be a lie.

"Draco, I know she hurt you eight years ago, but what little I understand from her is you hurt her too." Draco started to protest but Harry cut him off. "I think you need to talk to her—rationally—about this. You two need to settle whatever this is between you two, and then maybe you'll be able to realize how right you two are for each other."

Draco sighed heavily. "Harry, no matter how much we realize how right we are for each other, it's never going to happen. She's married to that dirty scumbag! Besides, I've moved on. I'm not pining after her like I used to." He said crossing his arms and looking away. To Harry he looked like a stubborn child.

Harry scoffed. "Now we both know that's not true! When was the last time you went on a date?"

Draco glared, but refused to look at Harry. He mumbled something to himself.

"That's what I thought. Your last date was with Hermione eight years ago. Blimey! Honestly I'm surprised you lasted this long!" Harry chuckled.

"Potter, get to your point, otherwise I'm going to hex your arse and save Ginny the trouble!"

"My point is you are still in love with Hermione, despite her leaving and marrying another man. You need to show her that you still care about her and love her."

"That's easier said than done," Draco mumbled.

"It's not meant to be easy. You both are too stubborn and prideful."

After a few minutes of silence, Draco sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll try to talk to her. And I'm going to make sure her and Adalyn don't go back to that scumbag of husband of hers."

"You think he did it?"

"I'm positive of it. Merlin knows why Hermione is protecting him, but I'm not going to let them go back to him. He'll kill her for sure, and do Merlin knows what to Adalyn."

Draco was not going to let them go back to Toby. He'd tie Hermione up if he had to, to prevent her from going back to him. He was going to talk to Hermione about them, he was going to arrest Toby, and he was going to get to the bottom of who Adalyn's father is.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm on a roll! So this chapter is a bit of a filler, it's not very long, and there's not that much going on, but it's still good. :)**

**BTW-My brothers' team is playing for third place tomorrow and for a chance to make it to Regionals! Wish us luck! Gah, I love sports, especially when my family is involved!**

**Alright enough of my babbling! Enjoy!**

_Chapter 7_

"Mione I'm putting my foot down this time! You and Adalyn are going to stay with Draco until you are fully healed, _and_ we find out who did this to you!" Harry exclaimed. He and Draco were currently in Hermione's hospital room. They had come in hopes of her telling them who beat her and her daughter, but she still refused to tell them. So they had come up with a place for Hermione and Adalyn to stay where they will remain safe, until the one responsible was caught.

"Harry I-we can't stay with him!"

"Hermione it's for your and Adalyn's safety. Since you won't tell us who did this to you, then we will keep you safe, and that means keeping you both with Draco."

"But-"

"No! This discussion is over unless you want to tell us who beat you senseless," Harry said firmly, refusing to back down. Draco had to hand it to him; when he really put his mind to it, he could stand up to anyone, including Hermione Granger.

Hermione glared at Harry, then at Draco. They both remained impassive. She huffed and crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at them. Harry nodded. "Fine, I'll go sign the release papers while you and Adalyn get ready to leave," he said before walking out of the room.

Hermione groaned and put her face in her hands. "Insufferable git," she mumbled.

"Easy Granger, don't want Golden Boy knowing you were talking about him that way," Draco drawled.

Her head shot up and she glared at him. "That goes for you too!" She shouted before getting out of her bed.

"Whoa! So she does still have some fire in her," Draco said as he watched her go to the closet to get her clothes.

"Only when I'm scolded and told what to do like a child," she said while walking into the bathroom to change. "I'm no child, and you and Harry need to realize that! I can't take care of myself, and my daughter. I don't need your help!" She shouted through the closed door.

"You obviously can't take care of yourself, or your daughter since you ended up unconscious in Diagon Alley beaten within an inch of your life." Draco winced as she threw the door open. He knew that was a low blow, but maybe it would open her eyes and she would realize how bad things really were.

"You have no bloody right to say that to me! I love my daughter, and I take care of her! She is my entire world! I would kill; I would die for my daughter!"

"And you very nearly did!" He shouted back in her face.

She looked as if she had been slapped, and stepped away from him. Draco sighed. "Hermione I-"

"You don't know my life. You don't know what I go through; or what I've been through," she said softly.

"I would if you would just tell me. Stop keeping everything hidden inside. What is so wrong with confiding in someone?" Draco asked, walking over to her.

"I just-I can't do that to her," she whispered, turning away from him.

That brought him up short. "To who?"

She shook her head. "I can't Draco, please."

Draco sighed and said, "I won't give up."

Hermione nodded. "I know."

oOo~oOo~oOo

"Where are we going mummy? Are we going home?" Adalyn asked as her mother helped her get dressed.

"No, we aren't going home just yet sweetheart."

Adalyn looked confused. "Where are we going mummy?"

"You and your mum are staying with me for a while," Draco said walking into the room.

Adalyn's face lit up. "We are? Mummy, are we really staying with Mr. Draco?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile at her daughter. "Yes sweetie. Mr. Draco has been kind enough to let us stay with him, so I want you on your best behavior."

"I will be mummy!" She exclaimed before running over to Draco. He knelt down to her level and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Do you have a big house Mr. Draco? Will I have my own room? Is it alright if Jill comes with us? Do you fly? Can you take-"

"Adalyn Rose, slow down," Hermione said firmly, but with hidden amusement. Her daughter was always so ecstatic and curious, and she got excited over the littlest things. "Don't overwhelm Mr. Draco. He may change his mind about letting us stay with him." On second thought, was that such a bad idea? Maybe she should let Adalyn ask Draco hundreds of questions until he gets fed up. Then they wouldn't have to stay with him.

"It's alright. I don't mind," Draco said, breaking her out of her thoughts. He turned back to Adalyn. "To answer your questions Miss Adalyn, I do have a big house so you will indeed have a room all to yourself." Adalyn giggled with delight and Draco smiled at her. "Jill is most welcome to come, as long as you take good care of her, which I know you will. And I do fly, and if it's alright with your mother, I'll take you flying all you want."

Adalyn gasped and stared at him wide eyed. "You can take me flying?" At his nod, she turned to her mother. "Mum! Mr. Draco said I can fly with him! Can I mum? Please!"

Hermione sighed heavily. She really wasn't comfortable with Adalyn flying, even with someone as talented on a broom as Draco. Well, she wasn't sure she was comfortable with Adalyn flying with Draco, but she didn't know why. She wasn't even sure where Adalyn got her love of flying, even though she had never tried it. Toby only flew if he needed to, but he had never really enjoyed it like some people. Hermione herself despised it.

"Mum? Can I please?" Adalyn asked again, breaking Hermione out of her thoughts. She really needed to stay focused on what was going on around her.

"Uh, we'll see, ok?" That answer seemed to suffice for now, as Adalyn smiled and turned back to Draco. Hermione rubbed her forehead. She was getting a headache and she wasn't sure why. "Uh, Draco are we ready to go?"

Draco looked up and saw Hermione rubbing her forehead. He stood and approached her. "Are you feeling alright?"

Hermione looked up and saw the concern in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm just tired is all. This is the most movement I've had in a few days. I'd just like to go so I can rest."

He didn't look convinced, but he nodded. "Harry signed the release papers so we're ready when you are."

"Alright. Come on Adalyn, time to go," she said, grabbing her daughter's hand. Together the three of them walked out to the reception area where Harry was talking to Pansy.

"All ready to go 'Mione?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but I'd like to talk to Healer Parkinson alone for a moment. Would you mind watching Adalyn for me?" Hermione asked.

"Of course! Adalyn, can you show me how Jill is doing?" Harry asked. Adalyn excitedly walked over to Harry and showed him Jill while Hermione walked a ways away with Pansy. Draco walked over to listen to Adalyn, giving Hermione her privacy.

"How are you feeling Mrs. Lennox?" Pansy asked.

"Please, call me Hermione," she replied. "I'm feeling better, but just before we walked out of Adalyn's room I got a headache. I assume that's common after having surgery?"

"Why Hermione I'm surprised. Knowing that you were a few months away from completing your healer training and you are unsure of yourself?" Pansy said with a smile.

Hermione gave her a small smile. It was true; she should have known something as simple as this. But it had been so long ago since she had done her healer training. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had actually learned something from a book. Toby hadn't thought it necessary for her to read and learn new things. "It's been so long since then, I've just forgotten," she said, trying to brush off the fact that she didn't know something.

Pansy gave her a sympathetic smile. "Well, it is common to experience some headaches or migraines after the surgery. I'm going to give you some Pain Relief potion. Take a spoonful morning and night, and hopefully that will help." She withdrew a bottle out of her healer robes pocket and handed it to her. "If you still have the headaches or they get worse after four days, then come see me."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you Healer Parkinson."

"Please Hermione, call me Pansy." She gave Hermione a squeeze on her shoulder. "And if you ever feel the need to talk to someone, you know where to find me. I know Ginny hasn't been made aware of you being here yet, and Draco can be difficult to talk to at the best of times," she said, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"I really appreciate it, Pansy. For everything you've done for me and my daughter."

"You're absolutely welcome. Your daughter is a sweetheart! I'd love to see her again, just on better circumstances, and that goes for you too."

Hermione was so overcome with emotions she gave Pansy a hug. She had never been close to Pansy, even after she had switched to the Light side. But she was sincere with Hermione, and she had taken care of her and her daughter. She was beyond grateful for what Pansy had done, and she began to look at her as a friend.

Pansy returned the hug after the momentary shock wore off. When they separated, they saw Draco and Harry gaping at them.

"Don't act like you two haven't seen two women hug before," Pansy said crossing her arms.

"Yeah, well, we just never would have thought—uh-"

"Thought you two would ever hug," Draco said, finishing Harry's thought.

Pansy rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione. "Men."

Hermione chuckled and clutched her head. She really was exhausted and her headache seemed to be getting worse.

"Alright, we should go before Hermione collapses from exhaustion," Draco said tightly. He was genuinely worried about her. He knew it was more than just being tired.

"I suggest you use the floo so Hermione doesn't end up worse than she is with apparating," Pansy suggested.

"Thank you Pansy," Hermione said gratefully.

"You're welcome. Goodbye Adalyn!"

"Bye Miss Pansy! Thank you for making my mummy better!" She said after giving Pansy a hug.

"It was no trouble dear. Take care of yourself, and be a big girl for your mum," Pansy said to her.

"I will," Adalyn smiled.

"Oh Draco, one last thing," Pansy said. He looked at her and she continued, "Uh, privately."

Draco gave her a confused look and walked down the hall with her. After being a fair distance away from the others, Pansy whispered, "Draco, I already told Harry about this but I wanted to let you know that a man came in here last night asking to see Hermione and Adalyn."

He narrowed his eyes. "Who was it?"

"I don't know. He said he was a friend of theirs and heard they were in the hospital, but I don't know how he or anyone would have known they were here. Aside from me, only two other people on staff here know about them being admitted."

"Did he look familiar? Give a name?"

"He didn't tell me his name. He didn't look at all familiar to me either."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him there were no patients here by those names and he started getting cross with me, saying I was denying him access to them and that he had to see them. Honestly Draco, he seemed a bit crazed. Do you think he could have been the one to hurt them?" She asked shakily.

"I don't know. I'm betting it is, but I highly doubt he was just a family friend," Draco said, glowering.

"Well I know their whereabouts are to be confidential, so you can trust me not to tell a soul. Just-just watch out for them, Draco. They need you—she needs you," she said sincerely.

He looked at her as if she had grown three heads. He shook his head. "Yeah sure, uh, what did Hermione ask you earlier?"

Pansy smirked at him. "Sorry! That's healer/patient confidentiality. But I will tell you to keep a close watch on her. I gave her some medicine that she is to take morning and night. If something, anything, goes wrong or doesn't seem right with her, bring her back immediately."

Draco sighed. "Thanks. That eases my worries," he said sarcastically.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," she winked at him before walking back to the waiting group of three.

"Thanks again Pansy. We'll talk to you soon," Harry said before walking to the fireplace.

"But not too soon, please," she replied.

They all shared one last goodbye and a few waves before disappearing in the fireplace.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Wow! I'm on a roll! So for anyone who cared or paid attention to my little notes, my brother's basketball team lost out in Districts so they are done :( But they had a great season, I enjoyed watching them play. I'll miss watching one of my brothers play as he's a senior this year, but my youngest brother still has three years left so woo!**

**Okay, so, this chapter has a lot going on and a lot happening. If I was to title the chapter it would be called 'Complicated.' Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!**

**On a side note: Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews, and all my followers and favoriters! Ya'll are amazing!**

_Chapter 8_

After the green flames had died down, Hermione stepped through the fireplace while Draco stepped through after holding Adalyn in his arms. Hermione was grateful that Draco had done that; she was feeling so weak she wasn't sure she'd have even been able to hold onto Adalyn's hand. Harry stepped out after Draco.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, ladies," Draco said, still holding Adalyn.

Hermione froze and her eyes widened. She hadn't even realized where she was. She was standing in the exact room where the psychotic Bellatrix Lestrange tortured her. Her hand instantly went to her left forearm where she had carved MUDBLOOD into her.

Hermione could not see Harry, Draco or Adalyn anymore. All she could see was Bellatrix hitting her over and over again with the Cruciatus curse. Her maniacal laughter was ringing in her ears. She saw her standing over her carving that blasted word into her arm. Hermione started to shake uncontrollably.

"Dammit," Harry cursed, running to Hermione.

Draco cursed under his breathe. How could he be so stupid? How could he possibly forget that this place was traumatic for Hermione? His crazy aunt had tortured her within an inch of her life here. Why had he been so delusional to this this situation would work?

"What's wrong with mummy?" Adalyn whimpered in Draco's arms.

The poor child was watching her mother have a breakdown. "She's alright sweetie. She's just really tired and still not feeling very good. How about we go get a treat, would you like that?" Draco asked her, trying to sound calm. On the inside, he was anything but calm.

At her nod he said, "Tillie."

With a pop, a house elf dressed in a simple black dress with a silver 'M' embroidered on it appeared. "Master call Tillie?" she asked.

"Yes, can you please take Adalyn to the kitchen and get her a treat?" he asked, while putting Adalyn down.

"Of course Master. Come with me Miss Adalyn," she squeaked.

Adalyn looked at Draco with a confused expression. It was obvious she didn't know what Tillie was. "Tillie is my house elf. If you need anything just ask her, ok?" She nodded and glanced at Tillie wearily. "Don't worry, she's very nice and she won't hurt you."

"But mummy-"

"Mr. Harry and I will take care of your mummy." He looked over and saw Harry talking to Hermione, who was shaking and white as a ghost. He turned back to Adalyn. "I promise."

"Come miss," Tillie said, holding her hand out to Adalyn. "I have some lovely pastries for you."

Adalyn smiled and took Tillie's hand, and followed her out the door.

Draco stood and rushed to Harry's side.

"Mione, listen to my voice. You are safe. Nothing is going to happen. No one is going to hurt you," Harry said soothingly while holding her arms.

"Harry I-I never even thought-"

"I know. I didn't either," Harry said to Draco. "She usually calms down a bit after talking to her and reassuring her. I don't know why-"

"Please. Don't hurt us. No more. Please don't," she mumbled through her cries. The scene had changed. It was no longer Bellatrix standing over her, it was Toby. He beat her and hit her, sending her head crashing into the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Adalyn standing there watching and crying. She saw Toby approach her and hit her across the face again and again.

"Harry, she-"

"I know. She's not thinking about her experience here, it's something else. I think-" Harry said quietly. He was cut off by a high pitched scream from Hermione. He and Draco jumped back in fear and started to rush to her when they saw her fall to the floor.

Draco looked from Harry to Hermione. "Potter we need to help her!"

When Harry made no move to help her, Draco moved forward but was stopped by Harry. "We may find out more about what happened to her," he said.

"And she may end up hurting herself or go into a deep regression!" Draco shot back.

"Don't touch my daughter! Toby, NO!" She screamed and screamed until her voice went hoarse. Suddenly she collapsed on the floor, unmoving.

"Hermione!" Draco rushed to her while Harry apparated away.

oOo~oOo~oOo

Draco sat with his hands clasped tightly with his head hanging down, in a chair beside Hermione. After she had collapsed, he had taken her upstairs to a guest room. Moments later, Pansy had arrived and checked on her. She told him Harry had sent her and he had left, not telling her where he was going. Draco had a pretty good idea where he went. He was only sorry he wasn't with him. But Hermione needed him here, and he needed to be here for Adalyn as well.

Tillie had done well keeping Adalyn occupied while Pansy looked her mother over. Tillie had taken her to her room, which was down the hall from Hermione's. Adalyn had taken to it right away and had stayed in there since, playing with the toys and reading the books that were placed in there beforehand.

From the moment Draco and Harry had decided that Hermione and Adalyn would stay with him, he had sent Tillie to get toys, books, and clothes for Adalyn and clothes for Hermione.

"Draco?"

He lifted his head to look at Pansy. He stood up and looked at Hermione. "How is she?"

"She's stable. Something must have triggered some of her memories and she had an episode." He had a guilty look on his face and Pansy sighed. "It's not uncommon with war survivors; you know that, as well as I do. Anything, any little thing can set you off."

Draco sighed heavily. "Yeah I know. It's just-it's my fault. I should have known not to bring her here. With what she experienced here-I don't know why-how could I have thought she could be safe here? She's not here five minutes and something already happened to her."

"Draco, this is not your fault. If anything it's your aunt's fault. Not to mention who beat Hermione and Adalyn, by what you told me."

"Toby. Her no good husband did that to them, and I'm going to make sure he pays," he growled, his hands fisting in his pockets.

"Don't lose your head, Draco. Harry is handling that. You have a responsibility here," Pansy said firmly.

He knew she was right. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to hunt her no good husband down and pummel him like he did to Hermione and Adalyn.

"Adalyn." Draco and Pansy whipped their heads to look at Hermione. Her eyes were fluttering open slowly. When she became aware of her surroundings and acknowledged who was with her, she tried to sit up, but gasped and fell back on the pillow, clutching her head. "What happened? Where's Adalyn?"

"You had an episode where you blacked out, Hermione. Adalyn is perfectly alright, she in the room just down the hall reading a book," Pansy said, laying her hand on Hermione's forehead.

"An episode?

"Yes. It's not uncommon for war survivors to have them. I myself have them once in a while," Pansy informed her, checking her vitals. "I believe the muggles call it post-traumatic stress disorder?" She asked to Hermione, who nodded. "Well, I believe your episode was a mixture of something you experienced during the war and also what happened to you and Adalyn." She looked at Hermione trying to gauge her reaction. Hermione remained still, not saying anything or acknowledging she had even heard Pansy. "Well, I believe you just fainted afterwards from stress and exhaustion. I demand you be put on bed rest until tomorrow. Get rested and you should be alright." Pansy said, patting Hermione's hand.

"Thank you Pansy," Hermione said gratefully.

"I'll show you out," Draco said as calmly as he could. He closed to door behind Pansy and walked with her down the stairs. "She doesn't remember what happened to her downstairs," he pointed out.

She nodded. "She blacked out and add that onto her surgery on her head I'm really not surprised she doesn't remember it."

"So she doesn't remember what she said. She doesn't know that she told Harry and me who beat her and Adalyn."

"Yes, and I don't think you should let her know that you know; at least not until she has recuperated. She's very weak and she's already done more than she's needed to after having her surgery," Pansy said strictly.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Easier said than done. If Harry found Toby and arrested him, Hermione would have to testify that it was him who beat her and almost killed her. She would never do it, for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of. How long after arresting Toby would they have to keep it a secret from Hermione until she was recovered? Technically they were only allowed to hold him for 48 hours. And when Hermione found out about his arrest, she would be furious at him and Harry. He wasn't sure he wanted to endure her wrath. He sighed again. "She's going to hate me again."

"Doesn't she still hate you?" She asked with a grin.

"Yeah, but we're at a civilized state. This will just make us go backwards."

"Draco, things will work out. I believe you two are meant to be together, and if I'm right, it will happen. Trust me."

He scoffed at her. "What are you a seer now?"

"No, I just know things," she winked at him.

He shook his head. "Alright, I won't mention it."

"Good. Let me know if you need anything," Pansy said before flooing away.

Draco collapsed in a chair and threw his head back. Things just got a lot more complicated.

oOo~oOo~oOo

"Draco?"

Draco groaned. Of course! If things were complicated, they just got even more complex. "In here mother."

His mother walked through the doorway. She hadn't changed much since the war. Her hair was as blond as ever and was tied back in an elegant twist. She still walked and stood with pride, despite how her husband and others put her down. Draco admired that about her. Really the only difference about her was her dress attire. No more did she wear dismal black robes. Instead, she wore dark shades of blues, purples, and greens. If anything, they made her look younger than she really was.

"Ah, here you are Draco. What are you doing in here?" She asked.

"Pansy was just here checking on Hermione. She just left," he said, pointing to the floo.

"And how is Miss Granger?" She asked sitting on the couch across from him.

"Mrs. Lennox, mother, if you're going to be technical about it," he growled at her.

"Now don't take that tone with me young man. You may be master of the manor, but you will still treat me with respect," she reprimanded him.

He sighed. "I'm sorry mother. She's awake and has no recollection of what happened."

"So, she doesn't know-"

"No." Harry had agreed to let Draco tell his mother everything involving the case. After all, it was one more person able to protect Hermione and Adalyn if needed.

She nodded. "Does she know that I am here also?"

Draco was taken aback by that. He hadn't even thought to tell Hermione that his mother still lived here as well. Merlin, he needed to get his head together. "Uh, no, but I'll inform her when I go up to check on her."

Narcissa smiled at him. "I assume she is to be put on bed rest?" At his nod she asked how long.

"Just until tomorrow."

"Very well," she said while standing. "I will have Tillie prepare her dinner and have it sent to her room. Will the child be dining with us or with her mother?"

"I assume with Hermione for tonight. She's awfully worried about her," he said.

"I thought as much. I'll have Tillie bring hers up as well. I'll see you at dinner," she said before gracefully leaving the room.

Draco took a deep breath and walked out after her. On his way to Hermione's room, he wondered how she'd take the news of his mother staying in the manor. He nervously knocked on her door and heard giggling inside. "Come in."

He walked in and saw Adalyn on the bed with Hermione, with books strung out all over the bed. "Mr. Draco! Come see all my books!" Adalyn exclaimed happily.

He walked over to the bed. He knew what books Tillie had gotten Adalyn, and he was right in assuming she would love them. She really was her mother's daughter. "My you have a lot of books. Which one is your favorite?" He asked.

"This one!" She shouted, holding up a thick book. He should have known it would be that one. Hogwarts a History; as he could recall, it was her mother's favorite book as well.

"I like that one too," he said winking at her. She giggled and hid behind the book. He looked at Hermione and saw a little color had returned to her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I'm still tired though," she said softly.

"Dinner will be brought up to you and Adalyn," he informed her. She nodded and went back to watching Adalyn sort through her books. He cleared his throat out of nervousness and she looked at him again. "There was something else I needed to tell you that I completely forgot to mention to you, and I apologize for it," he said, fearing what her reaction would be.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"My mother still lives here in the manor with me." He said quickly.

She raised her eyebrows intrigued. She could tell he was nervous about telling her this, but she wasn't exactly sure why. He must be worried that his mother would be something that could make her have another episode. Merlin he really cared about her! She smiled. "Yes, I had assumed she did. There's no reason to apologize." She saw his shoulders relax. He was really worried about how she'd react to that? "Why would that bother me?"

"Well, you had your, uh, episode in the…room. I wasn't sure how you'd react to seeing my mother around." He avoided looking at her as he said this, as if he was ashamed.

She leaned over and grabbed his hand. This not only surprised him, but it surprised her too. "You were there when it happened Draco, and I don't look at you differently because of it. I couldn't look at your mother differently either. It was neither one of you that did that to me, and I don't hold it against you."

"Maybe not, but I hold it against myself. I-we should have stopped her from doing that to you. I-"

"Draco, stop. Stop blaming yourself," she said sternly.

He nodded, not trusting his voice.

"What are you two talking about?" Adalyn said breaking the momentary silence. "Who else lives here?"

"Nothing sweetie. Let's read before we eat dinner," Hermione said, changing topics to stop the tears from leaving her eyes.

"But mum! Who else lives here?" Adalyn asked, crossing her arms.

"My mum lives here," Draco said. "And she's very excited to meet you."

"She is? When can I meet her?"

"Tomorrow. You and your mom need to get your rest. You both have had too much excitement the past couple days," Draco said.

"Yeah I am tired. Are you tired mummy?"

"Yes sweetie," Hermione replied with a yawn.

"I can bring your dinner to you now if you'd like," Draco suggested.

"That'd be great. Thank you Draco," Hermione replied tiredly.

"Thank you Mr. Draco!" Adalyn said before crawling over to lay by her mum.

The last thing Draco heard before he closed the door was, "Mummy, I like Mr. Draco."

"I like him too sweetie."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Blimey! I'm blown away by all your amazing reviews! I love all your thoughts and suspicions, and I hope that I will bring some of those to light in the coming chapters. **

**So I am really excited about this chapter! Honestly, I think it may be my favorite one thus far! I would have continued writing but I thought it'd be a perfect place to stop, even though it _will_ leave you wanting more! I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter! Enjoy my lovely readers!**

_Chapter 9_

Hermione woke the next day feeling refreshed even though she had a minor headache. She thought it wasn't hurting her too bad so she wouldn't take the pain relief potion just yet. She turned her head and saw her daughter sleeping peacefully beside her. She looked so content while she slept; she even slept with a slight smile on her face. With the way the sunlight coming in through the window was hitting her wavy, platinum blonde hair, she looked like an angel. She couldn't help but remember that he looked so content and peaceful while he slept also.

Hermione snapped her head up. Why was she suddenly thinking of him? Regardless of how he suddenly appeared in her life, and how he has taken good care of her and Adalyn, she did not need to go back to that night.

"Mum," Adalyn mumbled followed by a yawn.

"Yes sweetie?"

"When do we get to go home?"

Hermione almost felt her heart break. "Sweetie, we can't go home. At least not yet," she said as she ran her hand softly through Adalyn's hair. Merlin, her hair even felt like his! She shook her head again. What a thought!

"Why not? Because he might be there?" Adalyn asked.

Now her heart did break. What she must think of her father. "Adalyn, sit up here sweetheart." Adalyn crawled over to sit on her mum's lap. Hermione looked her in the eye. "Do you remember what I told you the other day? About protecting you from harm?" Adalyn sat there with her face scrunched as if she were trying to remember. When she finally nodded, Hermione continued. "Well, I meant it, you know that. I made you a promise. Staying here for a while will help me keep that promise. Do you understand?"

Adalyn sat there thinking about it. "I think so mum. But, will we get to see daddy?"

Hermione didn't know how she was to tell her child that he was the reason they couldn't go back. Was she so traumatized that she thought her daddy and the man who hurt them were two different people? Perhaps, and she had no idea how to help her realize they were one in the same. Perhaps she should tell Draco and Harry, and they could help her tell Adalyn. No, Adalyn was _her_ child, and she was her responsibility. "We can't see him right now sweetie, alright?"

Adalyn simply nodded.

"Why don't you go get showered and dressed. I'll do the same, and then we can go explore, hm?"

Adalyn perked up at the idea and skipped off to her room to get ready, humming the lullaby Hermione had sung to her since her birth.

Hermione sighed and entered the bathroom. Was she doing the right thing for Adalyn? She knew she loved her daddy, but was keeping her from him the wisest choice? Yes. He had hit her for the first time, and Hermione had an idea of how much he lost his temper. What if she wasn't around to stop him next time? No, she was doing the right thing. So why couldn't she tell Draco and Harry that it was Toby who had abused them? _Because you still have hope that Toby won't do it again, to either of you._

She sighed again before looking in the mirror. She gasped at what she saw. The right side of her jaw was bruised, as well as her head. She gently touched the bruise on her head and winced at the sharp pain. She felt tears threaten to spill when she heard a knocking on her door.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Came Draco's concerned, but muffled voice.

"Y-yes I'm fine. I'm just going to freshen up for the day," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"If you need anything, let me know." After a moment of silence she heard his fading footsteps.

He cares so much for me, but why? She scoffed to herself. If he really cared for her, why had he left her in the first place? She would have been with him for the last eight years instead of Toby. But then she wouldn't have had Adalyn. She shook away her thoughts before climbing in the shower, ignoring her reflection in the mirror, and brushing away all thoughts of a life with the man she truly loved.

oOo~oOo~oOo

"What do you mean you couldn't find him?" Draco said furiously to Harry.

"As soon as I left Pansy, I went to his department thinking he'd be working. He wasn't there but his secretary told me he had called in sick. So I went to his house. He wasn't there either, but the entire place was trashed as if someone had been looking for something. I even went to downtown London where he said he had gotten into a fight in a bar. I searched every single bar there but no one had ever seen him." Harry plopped down into a chair and ran his hands through his hair. "I have absolutely no idea where he could be right now."

Draco growled and banged his fist against his desk. What were they supposed to do now? They had no idea where Toby was, and until he was arrested, Hermione and Adalyn would have to stay here. Not that Draco minded, but he felt like Hermione wouldn't like it at all. "At least Hermione and Adalyn are safe here. The manor is heavily warded I don't think even Hermione Granger would be able to break through them," he said, sitting down at his desk.

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons I suggested they stay here," Harry said casually, with his head lying back.

Draco raised an eyebrow at him, even though he couldn't see it. "What do you mean, 'one of the reasons.'?"

Harry grinned and lifted his head to look at Draco. "Don't play coy with me, you know exactly why."

"Potter, I really don't need your matchmaking on top of everything else going on," Draco said, rubbing his forehead. After this entire ordeal was over, he planned to take an extended vacation to his beach house in Greece.

"Draco, this is the perfect opportunity for you to smooth things over with her and get her back."

"There's one problem with that; she doesn't want to get back with me. She loves her bloody husband so much she won't even tell us it was him who beat her and Adalyn."

"There might be another reason for her not telling us," Harry suggested.

Draco looked at him as if he had sprouted wings and a tail. "What the bloody hell are you talking about? What other reason would there be for her to keep quiet?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Hermione thinks that by telling us, she's admitting she's weak or weak minded. Maybe it's because she thinks he's Adalyn's father and she needs a father." He looked slyly at Draco as he said this.

"Sweet Merlin, will you get off that notion?" Draco said exasperatedly.

"How can you deny it? She has your eyes, she has your hair aside from it being wavy, her skin tone is the same as yours, and I'm sure if you ever smiled, she'd have your smile as well. Why do you choose not to see that there is a very, very high chance she's your daughter?"

"Because it would kill me!" He shouted, rounding on Harry. "Because I barely survived when Hermione left me and chose that bastard over me! It'd tear me up if she was my daughter, and she had been calling someone else daddy for eight years! It'd kill me knowing she's my daughter, and Hermione takes her away from me!" He was breathing heavily and was trying to ignore the wetness in his eyes. He looked away from Harry, not wanting to see his pity for him. "I love that little girl, but she couldn't see me as her father. The poor girl is confused enough as it is. I just-I just wish-"He said softly. Merlin what was he to do? Even if he was her father, Hermione had made her choice. She didn't want to be with him. Why would she want him to see Adalyn?

"Draco, I'm sorry. I know you're having a tough time. But if she is your daughter, you have a right to her. I've seen how good you are with her, and I can tell how attached she is to you already." Draco didn't say anything. Harry sighed. "Why don't you have Pansy do a DNA test? Then you-"

"No," Draco said firmly. "Like I said, she's been through enough."

Harry sighed again and clapped Draco on the shoulder. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I Harry. So do I."

oOo~oOo~oOo

"Adalyn Rose, stop your squirming!" Hermione said strictly. She was currently sitting behind Adalyn on her bed trying to fix her hair for dinner. Hermione had to thank God that Adalyn did not get her mother's wild, unmanageable hair.

"But mum! I want to meet Mr. Draco's mum!" she complained.

"Well you won't if you don't sit still so I can finish brushing your hair out," she said while running the brush through Adalyn's hair. Hermione couldn't help but think of how her hair compared to Draco's. She shook her head. She really needed to stop comparing Adalyn to Draco.

After a few moments of silence, and after Adalyn had calmed down, she asked, "Mum, will Mr. Draco's mum like me?"

Hermione was taken aback by the question. "I see no reason why she wouldn't like you sweetheart. Everyone loves you, and she will be no different," she replied, tapping her on the nose.

"But daddy doesn't love me," she said quietly. Hermione looked at her and saw she was close to tears. What on earth could she say to her? She was sure Toby loved her. She was his daughter!

"Sweetheart, listen to me. Daddy loves you in his own way. You're his little girl, and even though he hasn't shown you that he loves you, don't mean that he doesn't. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

She still looked sad and she had good reason to be sad. "Come on, let's go meet Mr. Draco's mum!" Hermione said grabbing Adalyn's hand.

Adalyn giggled and jumped off the bed, when a knock came from the door.

Hermione walked to the door with Adalyn trailing behind her. When she opened the door, she saw Draco standing there. "Hello Draco," Hermione said sweetly.

"Good evening ladies," he said giving a small bow, causing Adalyn to giggle behind her hands. He winked at her and said, "Shall I escort you to dinner?" He held out his hand to Hermione.

"Please," she replied placing her hand in his.

"Me too Mr. Draco!" Adalyn exclaimed.

"Why of course! How could I ever forget someone as precious as you?" He said before extending his other hand to her. She gave him a bright smile and grabbed his hand. "You ladies look lovely this evening," he said as he led them down the stairs.

"Thank you. I wasn't sure how formal dinner was here," Hermione said looking down at her simple but elegant baby blue dress robes.

"You look absolutely perfect," he replied earnestly. He couldn't help but think back to that night. She had also been wearing a bright blue dress, and he had been absolutely captivated by her.

"My dress pretty, too?" Adalyn asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He looked down at her and saw her holding her purple dress out with her free hand. "It's very pretty, and it looks prettier on you," he said, causing her to smile even bigger.

They entered the dining room and saw that Narcissa was already seated. "Welcome Mrs. Lennox, and Miss Adalyn!" She said politely, while standing up and walking towards them.

Hermione knew she felt no ill will towards the beautiful woman, but she still felt inferior to her. Aside from the smile on her face and her dress robes, she looked exactly as she had the last time she had seen her; when she was almost tortured to death. Hermione shivered a bit.

Narcissa noticed and gave her a warm smile. "Mrs. Lennox, I hope you bear me no ill will, and I deeply apologize for what happened to you. You never deserved what happened to you."

"Please, call me Hermione," she replied. "And Mrs. Malfoy I don't blame you at all, just like I don't blame Draco. I would also like to thank you, for allowing my daughter and me to stay here."

Narcissa smiled at her. "Please Hermione, call me Narcissa. You and your daughter are most welcome here."

"Are you Mr. Draco's mum?" Adalyn piped in.

"Adalyn Rose, mind your manners," Hermione said sternly.

"Why yes I am," Narcissa said. "And you are Adalyn? My, you're just as pretty as your mum!"

Adalyn grinned. "My mum is very pretty! Like you!" She said pointing at her.

"Adalyn Rose, it's not polite to point," Hermione admonished her again. Merlin, what happened to her good manners? Hermione had raised her right, and it had been years since she'd seen Adalyn point at anyone.

"Sorry mum," she said, looking down.

"Well, I don't know about you all, but I am hungry," Draco said, trying to get everyone to sit. He had actually been dreading this dinner. What if his mother noticed the similarities between him and Adalyn? Then she would be on the band wagon as Potter was, and he really didn't want her asking him all kinds of questions. For as far as he knew, she had no idea what transpired between him and Hermione eight years ago, or that he had been harboring feelings for her.

After sitting at the table, Narcissa called for Tillie.

"Mistress ready for dinner?" Tillie asked.

"Yes Tillie. Thank you," she said politely.

Draco looked at Hermione and saw her confusion and distaste. "Tillie has been with my family since I was born," he informed her, turning her attention to him. "After the war, we tried to set her free, but she went ballistic, so she stayed. We treat her fairly, give her clothes to wear, and time off when she needs or wants it. She just won't allow us to pay her."

"Oh. Well she seems lovely, and Adalyn is taken with her," Hermione said.

"Me like Tillie! She my friend!" Adalyn said excitedly.

Tillie appeared with a crack, placing their dinner plates in front of them. Hermione thought she had never seen so much delicious food in one setting, except perhaps at Hogwarts. There was roast beef in a sauce, potatoes, fresh corn, watermelon, and a side of salad.

"Will there be anything else, Master?" Tillie asked Draco.

"Could-"

"Tillie, bring me some pumpkin juice," Adalyn said.

Tillie disappeared and reappeared with a crack. Narcissa dropped her fork on her plate, Draco sat there with his eyes and mouth open wide in shock, and Hermione was stopped from disciplining Adalyn for being so rude by Narcissa's fork dropping. Tillie handed Adalyn her juice, but she looked frightened. "M-master, I-I don't…" She started to shake and pull at her ears.

"Tillie, it's alright. Go back to the kitchen until you calm down. I'll-I'll explain later," Draco said, still watching Adalyn with wide eyes.

Tillie disappeared and there was complete silence, except for Adalyn sipping her pumpkin juice.

"Oh my-" Narcissa said slowly.

"Sweet Merlin, it's true," Draco said under his breath. Potter was right. Adalyn was his daughter!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: AHHHHHHH! You all are absolutely amazing! I was literally blown away by all the amazing reviews, favorites, and followers! And just within the last chapter! I was hoping I'd get the reaction I did with the previous chapter! You didn't fail to disappoint me and I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter! I worked very hard on this chapter, so please let me know your thoughts on it! Enjoy and until next time!**

_Chapter 10_

"Draco? How is this possible?" Narcissa asked wearily, breaking Draco form his thoughts.

"What? How is _what_ possible?" Hermione asked, confused by Narcissa and Draco's reactions to what had just transpired. She didn't see why they were so shocked when Tillie brought Adalyn a drink. Wasn't that what house elves were supposed to do?

"Uh, Hermione, I think we need to talk," Draco said, slowly, finally bringing his eyes away from Adalyn.

"Okay, so talk," Hermione said shortly. She was starting to think that something big must have happened, but for the life of her, she didn't understand what.

Draco looked at her and back at Adalyn. "I need to speak with you and my mother, alone." He looked back at her almost pleadingly.

Hermione wasn't sure if she wanted to know what was going on. Narcissa was almost scared, and Draco was acting shocked and furious. Maybe coming here wasn't a good idea. But the curious side of Hermione won out, and she turned to Adalyn. "Adalyn, why don't you go pick out a book to read, and I'll be there in a few minutes."

Adalyn looked at her mother and the others around the table. She was completely oblivious to what was going on. "Okay. Goodnight Mr. Draco! Goodnight Mr. Draco's mum!" She said before hopping off the chair, and running out of the dining room.

Narcissa looked close to tears, but before Hermione could question it, Draco stood and walked out the door, with Narcissa following him gracefully. Sweet Merlin if he wanted to talk so badly, why did he just walk out? Intent on chewing him out for his rudeness, she followed Narcissa through the door and went through another door, which turned out to be a study.

After she entered the doorway, she crossed her arms and glared at Draco. "What in Merlin's name is going on here?"

Draco turned and waved his wand behind Hermione, shutting the door. He also put up a silencing charm around the room for good measure. Eight years of being an auror and having constant vigilance had become a habit. "Granger, you may want to sit for this," he suggested, waving to the couch that his mother was currently sitting on.

She crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly. She looked exactly as she had in school when she disapproved of the twins and their experimental testing on younger students. Had Draco been in the mood, he would have smiled. But for now he couldn't. He was raging with emotions at the moment, and he didn't have the patience for Hermione's stubbornness. "Sit, Granger," he ordered, pointing at the couch.

She raised an eyebrow and turned and walked to sit in a chair across from the couch. Sweet Salazar she was infuriating!

"So, are you going to tell me why your mother is upset and why your mood has changed drastically?" She said haughtily. She was starting to get a headache, but she was not going to let it bother her now.

"Hermione, you do realize what we just witnessed in there, don't you?" Draco asked.

She raised her eyebrows. "You mean Adalyn asking Tillie to bring her a drink? I don't think that's any reason to get upset. I mean, I am upset she didn't use her manners when asking Tillie, but-"

"She didn't ask, Hermione. She ordered Tillie to bring her that drink," Draco said.

"Yes, and that is why I'm upset with her. Look, I know she was being rude, so I will take care of it. I just don't understand why you are upset about that," Hermione said looking from Draco to Narcissa.

Draco threw his hands up and looked to his mother for support. She dried her tears and nodded. Looking at Hermione she said softly, "Hermione, dear, I know you were a supporter for elf rights back in school, correct?" At her hesitant nod, she continued. "How much do you know about house elves?"

"House elves are given no holidays for their work, nor pay, they are treated unfairly by their owners, uh, well, some of their owners," she said, looking at Narcissa guiltily. "They are given orders by their owners that are to be carried out, or else they are to be punished."

Draco and Narcissa looked at Hermione as if she had said exactly what the expected her to, and that their answer was in there. Hermione sat there and thought about what she had just said. _'They are given orders by their owners that have to be carried out, or they have to be punished.'_ She didn't understand. Did Tillie do something wrong by getting Adalyn a drink? She had seemed upset about it. She looked back at Draco and Narcissa. "Did Tillie do something wrong? Is that why she was upset?"

Draco could have stabbed himself with the Gryffindor sword. This was Hermione Granger; the brightest witch of their age! How was it she wasn't seeing the obvious?

He couldn't control his anger and rage any longer. "She took an order from Adalyn! Only those of Malfoy blood can give Tillie orders because she belongs to the Malfoy family! If Adalyn had asked her for it, it would have been different because it was a request! But Adalyn ordered Tillie to do it!"

Hermione sat in silence for a few minutes while Narcissa sniffled a few times. "So, you're saying that, because Adalyn gave an order to Tillie, and Tillie obeyed her, that, that means…that Adalyn is…" she couldn't even finish the statement. It was impossible! She shook her head, "No, that's not possible. Tillie must have understood it to be a request. Adalyn wasn't aware of what she said. It can't be…" She knew she wasn't making any sense, but she could believe that Adalyn was Draco's daughter. She was Toby's daughter!

"Hermione, it's true," Draco said, coming to kneel before her. "Adalyn gave a direct order to Tillie, and because of the Malfoy blood in her, Tillie had to obey it."

"No," she whispered quietly through her tears.

"It was eight years ago that we got together," Draco stated, desperate to make her see the truth of it. "Adalyn has my color of hair, not to mention that her eyes are exactly like mine. How can you not see it?"

"It can't be," she said more to herself than to him.

"Hermione, open your eyes and look at the facts! I didn't want to believe it at first, but Harry kept pressing the matter and –"

"Harry?" she asked, confused.

"Harry pointed out that there was a great possibility that Adalyn was mine. I didn't want to believe it because I didn't want to accept the truth." Draco cringed. He didn't mean to say it that way.

Hermione's face changed in a second. From distraught to furious, she glared murderously at Draco. "You didn't want to accept the truth? Is it so degrading for you that you might have a daughter with me? Are you that repulsed by me that you didn't want to accept the truth that she could be yours?"

"No Hermione, that's not what I meant," Draco said, standing slowly.

"Oh I think it is Draco. You've been more of a father to Adalyn these past few days than her own father has been the last five years! Why is that Draco? If you don't want to accept that she could be yours, why place yourself in her heart? So you can break her heart like you did mine? I'm not going to let you do that to _my_ daughter!" she yelled before running out of the study and up the stairs.

"Hermione, wait!" Draco yelled. "Salazar I've screwed this up," he said banging his head against the door.

"Yes, you have," his mother said, walking over to him. "You've always had a way with words, Draco. But this time, you really, as the muggles say, put your foot in your mouth."

"How do I fix this? I can't lose Adalyn and I can't lose Hermione again."

"Go after them Draco. Stop her from leaving and making the biggest mistake of her life."

Draco scoffed. "She made the biggest mistake of her life when she left me eight years ago," he growled before going after Hermione. He'd be damned if he let her leave him again, along with his daughter. He would not let them walk out of his life again.

oOo~oOo~oOo

"Adalyn get your things, now!" Hermione ordered through her tears. She should have known not to trust Draco to hurt her again.

"But mum, I want to stay here," Adalyn complained, holding her blue dragon. She looked terrified. But why shouldn't she? Her mother had just come in yelling at her to get her things, crying, and looking hysterical.

"Adalyn Rose, don't you dare argue with me! You better be packed by the time I come back," she ordered before walking to her room.

Merlin how could it be possible? She had seen all the things Draco had pointed out, but she hadn't wanted to believe it. She hadn't wanted to get her hopes up. Especially since Draco had left her, why would he care if he had a daughter?

She tried to slam the door on her thoughts, doubts, and dreams while throwing clothes in her bag. If she had been thinking logically, she would have just _accioed_ everything into her bag. But she was obviously past the point of thinking logically.

"What are you doing?"

Hermione's head snapped up and saw Draco standing in her doorway. "I thought that was obvious. I'd think that someone who knew my daughter was his after a few days would know that I'm packing," she snapped at him.

She heard him sigh heavily and walk closer to her. "Hermione –"

"Don't!" She whirled around and pointed her finger at him. "I don't want your pity, I don't want to hear you talk, and I don't want you," she said a bit shakily before turning away from him.

"Well, that's too bad, because you're going to hear what I have to say!" He said firmly, closing the door behind him. "I know you're smart, Hermione. Bloody hell, you're the brightest witch of our age! So I know you saw the similarities between Adalyn and I from the beginning!"

He saw her shoulders shaking and knew she was crying. The words he heard next nearly broke his heart. "You think I'm a terrible mother." He rushed over to her and turned her towards him.

"I never said that Hermione. You're a wonderful mother! Adalyn is the luckiest girl in the world having a mother like you. I just don't understand why you stayed with him and didn't come back to me."

"At the beginning, I firmly believed that she was Toby's, until she opened her eyes. I think I knew deep down she was yours but I didn't want to face that heartache again. I knew you didn't want me, so why would you want Adalyn?"

"Why do you think I didn't want you?" He asked trying to get her to look at him.

"Because you left me! I woke up the next morning and you were gone!" Hermione rubbed her head. Her headache was coming back again full swing.

"I didn't leave you! Ok, I did, but not like that," Draco said. "While you were sleeping I went out to get, uh, something, but I ran into someone robbing the potions store. I had to try to stop it, and then report it, and I just got so caught up, I forgot to let you know what had happened and where I was. I had planned on being back before you woke up. When I finally did get back, you were gone, and Harry and Ginny refused to tell me where you had gone. So technically, you had left me."

She looked up at him. "Did you catch him?"

He looked at her confused. "Who?"

She chuckled a little. "The man who robbed the potions store?"

Draco grinned. "No, he got away. Now can we get back to the subject at hand?"

She blushed and looked down. "I didn't leave, I just…ran away. I had felt like I had just been used by you, and it hurt because I had such strong feelings for you and-"

"Had?" Draco smirked.

"Shut it," Hermione said, pushing him on the chest.

"Hermione, I never meant to hurt you. That night, it was the most; it was such an incredible night for me. You were everything I ever wanted and the fact that you had wanted me too just made it even more amazing!" He saw her blush and he grabbed her shoulders softly. "Hermione, I let you get away from me eight years ago, and I'm not going to let you go ever again. Because not only do I love Adalyn, I love you and I have never stopped loving you."

Hermione looked up at him in shock. Her eyes were glistening, and her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. Did she dare take another chance on love? She knew she didn't love Toby; her heart had always belonged to Draco. The only reason she had stayed with Toby was because of Adalyn, but now it seemed like that wasn't even accurate, because she was Draco's daughter. She shook her head. "Draco, I don't understand why you would want me. I'm tarnished goods, I'm not who I used to be," she said lowering her head. She didn't understand why he would want her. She certainly wasn't as pretty as she had been eight years ago, and even without the bruises on her face she was plain.

Draco placed his finger under her chin and brought her face up. He caressed her bruises softly while she closed her eyes. She really had no idea how much she affected him, how much she meant to him. "Hermione, you are in no way tarnished goods. And you may have changed since I last saw you, but you still have that fire in you. You still have that desire to learn and know everything possible," he chuckled.

"Draco, I-"

"No! Stop doubting yourself and stop doubting me. Trust me Hermione. Believe me. I am not letting you go, and I'm not letting Adalyn go. I love you."

Hermione let her tears fall as she looked up at Draco. She touched his cheek affectionately and said, "I love you too." She barely had time to get the words out before he crushed his lips onto hers. In that one kiss she forgot about Toby, she forgot about the abuse, she forgot about the years of pretending, she forgot about everything, except being in Draco's arms.

When they broke apart, Hermione laid her head against his chest. "Merlin Hermion, I've missed you!" Draco said as he placed a kiss on her head.

"I missed you too." She clung to him as if he would disappear if she let go.

"Mummy!" came Adalyn's voice from the hallway.

"Oh no! What do I tell Adalyn! How do I explain all of this to her?" Hermione said quickly, stepping away from Draco. Her headache had just returned and she clutched her head in desperation.

"Hermione, stop worrying. We'll set Adalyn down and explain it to her," Draco said, walking towards her.

"No! She thinks Toby is her father! She is already confused with what he did and why we aren't with him. How can I spring this on her when I have barely wrapped my head around it?" Hermione rambled, more to herself than to Draco.

"Hermione, what do you mean what he did?" Draco asked cautiously. He obviously already knew Toby had beat Hermione and Adalyn, but Hermione still wasn't aware that she had said that out loud.

"What?" She asked wide eyed. She hadn't even realized what she said.

"Hermione, what did Toby do? Why is Adalyn confused with what he did?"

"I-I can't—"

"Hermione, please!" He said desperately, grabbing her shoulders so she would look at him.

Her headache was getting worse and she wasn't seeing clearly. "Draco, he-" she breathed before she collapsed in his arms.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Oh my goodness! I am so sorry for not updating lately! I have literally had writer's block! Finally, it started flowing, and I hope you're satisfied with it. Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews, follows, and favorites! Ya'll are amazing!**

**Now, has anyone seen a pattern with Hermione collapsing? It will be revealed in the chapter, but no one has really mentioned or asked why she keeps collapsing. A lot of you have suspicions about Toby, and what he might have done to her. Well, your questions will be answered (hopefully) in this chapter! Also, we get a view at Toby's POV...hmmmm. Tell me what you think and enjoy!**

_Chapter 11_

"Pansy, just tell me why she keeps collapsing!" Draco shouted. After Hermione had collapsed, he had sent his mother for Pansy, and had told Tillie to keep Adalyn occupied. He didn't want her worrying about her mother. He was doing enough of that for everyone at the moment.

"Draco, I don't know," Pansy said. "Before she had left the hospital, she said she had a headache, and I assumed it was because of the surgery. But you said you've noticed her clutching her head, especially this last time right before she collapsed?" At his nod, she crossed her arms across her chest. "I've run every spell I can think of to determine what the problem is, but I keep coming up blank."

Draco paced while Pansy and Harry discussed things that could be done. Why was she always collapsing? And her headaches had to be more than just an effect of the surgery. Did they always occur or just on occasion? He had noticed her clutching her head every now and then, but he never questioned it. Now he wished he had.

He sighed and collapsed in his chair. He was missing something! Thinking back, he thought about when she had collapsed the first time. She had arrived at Malfoy Manor, and had a flashback of her torture from Bellatrix. Then again today when she got worked up about Adalyn being confused about them and what her father had done.

Draco's eyes shot open wide. "Harry, do you remember when we brought Hermione here?"

"Uh, yeah. She had an episode where she remembered being tortured in the room," Harry said slowly.

"Do you remember what else she experienced before she collapsed?" Draco asked in a rush.

"Yeah she—" Harry's eyes suddenly widened. "She re-experienced what happened to her! She yelled for Toby to stop right before she collapsed!" Harry said excitedly, standing up.

"Exactly! And this time just before she collapsed, I asked her what Toby had done to make Adalyn so confused. She collapsed before she could tell me! It's connected! For some reason, if she says Toby's name or tries to tell anyone, she collapses!" Draco said, also standing up.

"That must also be why she has her headaches. She must be thinking about Toby or what he had done to her!" Harry exclaimed.

"So, are you saying that someone put a spell on her preventing her from revealing who abused her?" Pansy asked.

"Not someone; Toby! He must have put a spell on her, in case she ever did leave him, and she'd never be able to tell anyone who hurt her!" Draco exclaimed. It all made sense! Why she couldn't tell them who hurt her and Adalyn, why she kept collapsing when she was close to revealing it.

"But Draco, as I said before, I've run diagnostics on her, and there are no traces of a spell, any type of spell, being performed on her," Pansy informed him.

"There are some types of magic, Dark Magic, which can be untraceable. My twisted aunt told me that during the war, hoping I would perform it on prisoners," Draco said, shuddering a bit. He had always despised his aunt, but when she tried to teach him all aspects of Dark Magic; especially when she wanted him to use it on the innocent.

Pansy seemed to consider this for a moment. "Do you have books on Dark Magic that have the spells that are undetectable? If I can find what spell he used on her, we may be able to reverse it," Pansy said. "It's worth a shot anyway."

"Yeah, of course! I'll take you to the library and show you were we can start," Draco said, while walking towards the door.

"We?" Pansy asked.

"We," Harry answered. "We're all going to work together to find the solution to this. I hate seeing Hermione harmed because this bastard is too cowardly to admit his wrong doings!"

Pansy grinned. "Let's get to work."

oOo~oOo~oOo

Hermione woke with her head aching again. She clutched her head. Was she always going to have those headaches? She looked around and saw she was lying in her bed. When the events before she collapsed came back, she fell back against the pillows. Merlin did all of it really happen? Maybe it was all a dream. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time.

"Hermione?"

She sat up at the sound of Narcissa's voice coming from the doorway. "Oh, Narcissa! Please, come in. I'm-I'm sorry I'm not proper," she said, looking down at her wrinkled clothes.

"Nonsense dear, you've had quite the experience," Narcissa said before sitting in the chair beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I-I'm feeling—well, a bit foolish," Hermione admitted.

"Foolish? Why on earth for, child?"

"I seem to keep making a fool of myself, especially around Draco. Aside from the random passing out, I feel like none of this is really happening. That I'm not really here with my daughter in this safe haven, and that Adalyn is Draco's daughter, that Draco still wants me. It just—"she blushed and looked down at her hands, suddenly ashamed at admitting this to Narcissa.

Narcissa smiled and reached over and grabbed Hermione's hand. "My dear child, you have nothing to be ashamed of or confused about. Have no doubt that you and Adalyn are safe here. We have some of the best wards up around our property, thanks to Harry. The matter of Adalyn being Draco's daughter, well, I'll admit that I was shocked by it," she said with a small chuckle. "But have no doubt that Draco is infatuated with that little girl. And how could Draco not want you? You are a stunning, strong woman, who is an amazing mother. You captured my son's heart long ago and have kept it since." She smiled warmly at Hermione, filling Hermione's heart with hope. "Now, as for your random passing out, I'm afraid I can't help you with that. But dear don't lose faith. If I know my Draco, he will stop at nothing to find a solution for you. He loves you too much to lose you again."

Hermione smiled through her tears. "Oh Narcissa, I just don't feel like I am good enough for Draco. I feel like I may be cheating him out of what he really desires."

"How so?"

Hermione wiped at her tears. "I am not the 'brightest witch of our age' anymore. I crave to feel the rough texture of books on my fingers, to feel overwhelmed by the words I read, to store countless information. I admit, I haven't picked up a book for almost five years, aside from Adalyn's books. I haven't learned anything new for five years! I was going to be a healer and I had so much knowledge about potions and spells for healing, but it has all left me. I feel like my head is completely empty of any knowledge!"

"Hermione."

"Not only that, but I used to be a fighter! I fought for my beliefs, for others too weak to stand up for themselves! I would not let anyone put me down! But I have lost all my fight! I cave in to demands and hurtful words against me. The fire that used to be inside of me was doused years ago and it's never been rekindled!" Hermione's tears were flowing steadily now. She covered her face with her hands, ashamed to be crying and to be admitting her faults and failures. Why would anyone possibly want her?

Narcissa looked at Hermione with sadness. She sat on the bed and pulled Hermione close to her, holding her as a mother would her child to bring them comfort. "Hermione, you are not a failure. You have been through something no one can even imagine. The fact that you have survived all of that shows how strong you are. It shows that you are a fighter." She stroked Hermione's hair while she continued to cry. "Hermione, knowledge is something that can be attained at any age. If you feel like you have been robbed of that knowledge, then take it back."

Hermione sat up and looked at Narcissa through tear stained eyes. "Would-would you help me? I don't want Draco or Harry to know. They look at me as if I will break and if they knew about this, they would pity me even more."

"Of course dear," Narcissa said, brushing Hermione's hair out of her face. "It will be our little secret," she smiled giddily at Hermione.

Hermione chuckled and did something she never thought she would have done. She wrapped her arms around Narcissa and embraced her. "Thank you Narcissa, for everything."

Narcissa returned the embrace and held Hermione tightly. She said a silent prayer for Hermione. The poor girl had been through so much. She prayed everything would work out right for her; that she would receive a second chance.

oOo~oOo~oOo

He chucked the Firewhiskey bottle at the wall, taking his anger out on it. How could they have just disappeared? He knew that medi-witch had been lying to him when he asked her about them. He knew that was where she would have taken the little brat.

He had gone back the next day to try again to see Hermione, and luckily it was a different medi-witch. She had been a pretty little thing, and if he hadn't been so determined to find the whore, he would have put his moves on her. But he had to find Hermione to put an end to all of this. The Aurors were already searching for him, but he wasn't sure why. He knew that she couldn't say anything to anyone. She wouldn't be able to tell them who beat her. It's not like she didn't deserve it anyway. She's had it coming since the day he found out that Adalyn wasn't his.

How could she have done that to him? Lie to him all those years, claiming that Adalyn was his. When she was born, he had no suspicions, except for her eyes, but he just assumed some babies were born with silver eyes and that they'd change color once she got older. Three years went by, and he realized they were still silver, and her hair was a lighter blonde than his, almost platinum. He knew exactly who had silver eyes and platinum blonde hair. Once he had pieced everything together, he realized what a fool he was and how Hermione had played him for three years. He had wanted her to approach him about it, but then she started sleeping around, probably with him, and he couldn't live with that, so he started disciplining her. He never took it out on the girl, because it wasn't her fault her mother had slept around.

He laughed. She was probably with him right now, sleeping in his bed, doing what she does best. Toby glared into the fire burning in the fireplace. He would find her and Malfoy. He'd put an end to her discretion, and end Malfoy's life. He didn't care about the little brat. Leave her motherless for all he cared. But he would find them, and he had a pretty good idea where to start.


End file.
